Life, Love, and Family Part 4
by Esther Clemmens
Summary: Part 4 of 5. The story of Hagi and Saya continues. Will there be paradise for them or tears? You will have no idea what's going on in this story if you don't read Part 1, 2, and 3 first. I do not own Blood Plus or the characters and I make no money from writing fanfiction. SERIES COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey everyone, I got it up for you so please enjoy!**

As Hagi lost consciousness, he was aware of nurses and doctors rushing around in the background and an annoyingly long beep. His thoughts flipped between the present and the past_. Hagi felt himself falling- falling fast but for some reason, everything slowed. He could see Saya staring down from the edge of the cliff, horror filled her eyes as she screamed for him. The landing was painful and he felt the stem of the red lily still clutched in his hand. He felt the weight of her straddling his waist and a long beep sounded in the background. Her warm lips pressed against his and released a current of her warm blood into his mouth. She sat up and waited for a moment before feeding him another mouthful. She commanded in a loud voice, "Hagi, breathe!" He did as commanded, but her next command he couldn't obey. He opened his eyes to blue skies and green grass. He knew this was a dream and he could not force himself to wake- he tried. Oh, how he tried. He cried out into this dream scape, "I must wake up!"_

Saya clutched his hand as his eyes stayed closed and he breathed through parted lips. She missed his blue eyes and the adoration they held for her. "Hagi," she pleaded as she looked into his handsome face, "please wake up soon." She laid her head down at his waist so she could continue to stare at his face. Her eyes nearly closed, letting her thick black lashes shade her eyes and glitter with her tears. She ran her fingers over his hand and realized it was becoming flesh once again. She stood up and reached over him to reach the other and pull them next to each other- a perfect match! Julia was right, her blood was what he needed. Tears fell as she brought both hands to her lips. "Please, wake up, Hagi. I miss you so much."

The door opened and the older woman she had pushed past earlier came in followed by a gruff looking man that looked to be 10 years her senior. She was holding a rather large book in her hands, which Saya recognized as a family photo album. The woman spoke through her tears, "Hello, Saya, would you be more comfortable if I spoke French or English?"

Saya wondered at the couple and answered, "English, I still have trouble with French."

"I am Marva, and this is Jim, my close friend and he used to be the leader of my hired hands at the ranch," she motioned to the man who nodded and responded in a southern drawl, "Ma'am." "I don't know how much they have told you as they have barely explained anything to him." She reached out and took the healed hand. Her eyes opened with surprise at first, but then fell back to her sad expression. "Hagi is my adopted son."

Saya was taken aback. She took her seat near Hagi and took a second to find her voice, "Y-your son?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but he has been a wonderful part of my life for the past 33 years- 43 if you count the time when he was searching for you while my husband and I were building our life in Paris."

Marva handed Saya the photo album and began to tell the story of how she met Hagi and how he was gradually pulled into her life, eventually becoming a part of the family. Saya looked at all the photos of the various people that grew older and the stoic man never changed anything other than his clothes. She was surprised at the photos of him playing with a young girl that looked like Marva's husband, with curly brown hair and golden skin. She knew the tall black man's name was Jeff. From the look in Hagi's eyes in the one photo, he greatly respected the man that stood by his side. The little girl grew up in the photos without her dad, but instead, she had the tall, darkly dressed man with a cello case to take her places. Photo after photo revealed a loving family in Paris, but soon the scenery changed to rugged cliffs, wild fields, and rugged people. The men in the photos wore jeans, t-shirts, steel toed boots, cowboy hats, and a layer of dust and sweat. Then there was her chevalier, standing over a large deer he had obviously killed. He was wearing black jeans, a black button down shirt, and a small smile. _A smile?_ Saya thought. Actually, the further she went into the album, the more she saw that small smile, especially around the growing brown haired girl.

Marva followed her train of thought and informed, "That is his sister, Claudia. She is the only person I know that can cause him to react with any expression, but she did mostly enjoy embarrassing him." Her eyes became sad as she held back tears.

Jim put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and finished the thought for her, "Just before Pr- uh, Hagi, became sick, Claudia had a really rough patch and is now in an institution battling depression."

Marva pulled herself together and admitted, "She tried to kill herself. He has been having trouble with this." She pointed to a photo where a teenage Claudia was laughing as Hagi had a look of mock scolding on his face, but the laughter danced in his eyes. "That was how they were before she lost her baby- always laughing and teasing each other, but now…"

Jim put an arm around her shoulders and whispered reassuring words to her that Saya could barely hear. She looked at the photo and then Hagi and said, "He will wake up. I know he will."

Marva responded, "I know, he's strong and he will pull though this. I just worry over him, even though it's ridiculous that I do."

Saya continued to look through the album and asked, "Has anyone else seen this?"

"Kai saw it when we were waiting in the lobby," Jim responded. "Never seen a guy look so shocked. It was like he'd never seen Pretty Boy smile."

Marva gave him a nudge and a glare as Saya added a questioning look. Marva explained, "Pretty Boy is the nick name the hired hands gave Hagi when we first arrived at the ranch."

Saya looked at the face of her chevalier and his perfect features. She had heard many times that he had the face of an angel, his hair was black as ebony, and his body was strong, yet lean. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say he was beautiful, but she could imagine the stoic, modest man did not care for the name. It made her giggle to think of him responding to the name. She laughed, "It suits him, even though I know he'd hate it." She tried to stifle the laughter before she asked, "Does Kai know about that name, yet?"

Jim laughed as Marva shook her head. He answered, "You know, I didn't tell him."

"Good, I _have_ to see the look on his face when he hears this one."

Saya stayed beside Hagi through the day when Julia spoke with the hospital and had Hagi moved to a large room where Saya and Marva could be more comfortable as they kept vigil over the comatose man. Julia came into the room to find Saya and Marva talking over old stories that involved the stoic man. She came up and asked, "Saya, have you eaten yet?"

A pink shade rose into her cheeks as her stomach voiced its answer. Marva laughed and placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder, "Go get something to eat, I'll keep an eye on him while you're gone." Saya struggled with herself to let go of his hand. She was surprised to feel tears fall from her cheekbones. Marva smiled and added, "I'll let you know if he makes even one movement, Saya. Please, go eat. You know he'll be upset if he wakes up and finds you've been starving yourself on his behalf."

She smiled her thanks as Julia walked with her to the elevators. "Kai and the others are in the cafeteria along with a couple from the ranch- I'm sure Kai will make the introductions." Saya nodded. "I hope you understand, we weren't sure how you'd react if we…"

Saya shot back, "Julia, I'm sorry, but I can't understand. How could all of you hide something like that from me? I could understand i-if I was a danger to anyone, but I wasn't. I just couldn't remember his confession o-or the bombs…" Tears ran down her cheeks against her will as a small sob escaped. "It was like you were trying to keep me from remembering him at all!" She dashed to the restroom and left the blonde scientist to her thoughts while she controlled her anger.

Julia went to the room where Hagi was being watched over by the woman that confounded almost everyone in the Red Shield. Marva took in Hagi- the chevalier that everyone thought was a stone wall emotionally, and treated him like he was a part of her family. She had photos that were proof that the stoic man thought of them the same way. Julia knew, as a mother herself, that Saya's emotional outburst was nothing compared to the one she was about to face. Marva had already given David a piece of her mind, and she knew it would be a matter of time before she would get the same treatment. She took a deep breath before entering the room.

Marva had Hagi's hand in hers and her eyes shined with unshed tears. She spoke softly to him and occasionally put her hand on his cheek. Julia had only seen Saya be affectionate toward the man before, and that was really rare. It made the scientist wonder how the man would react.

"You shouldn't lie to him," the woman spoke in a stern voice. "It took me more than a decade to get him to trust me and I never lied to him until recently." She was now looking at the blonde woman. "I _know_ he'll forgive me because he knew that I did it out of love. What was your excuse?"

The blonde breathed and looked at the floor, she then looked into the hazel eyes of the older woman and responded, "I know that none of my excuses for what I have done will be any good, but I did what I did to keep everyone from getting too upset. I know he already doesn't trust us, but I hope with time…"

"Time!" Marva interrupted, "Time? Did you hear anything I just told you? It took me 10 years- 10 YEARS to get him to trust me. The Red Shield has committed more atrocities to him than anyone else and you think that time will heal what you've done?" Marva stood and stared the taller woman down. She held back her anger as she continued, "On top of everything- you told him Saya still sleeps. When he wakes, he will know two things- One, you lied to him, yet again. Two, you woke her early- without his permission."

"I did it to save his life," Julia reasoned.

"I know," Marva answered. "And I am grateful. But when you lied to him, you set yourself up for more problems with him."

"I know that now. I can only hope that you will forgive what I've done and when he wakes up, I can somehow convince him, too. We only want to make his life, as well as Saya's, as perfect as we can. They have done so much for mankind."

"You certainly haven't started off well. Saya seems upset with you, too- I suppose you messed up there."

Julia nodded and looked at the still man. He had a blood drip feeding his arm and all his vital signs looked good, except his brain waves. She only hoped he could wake up soon. She said softly, "Keep talking to him, some doctors believe comatose patients can hear you."

"It reminds me of my Jeff's last days," Marva said sadly.

Julia remembered hearing the history of how Jeff and Marva lived in Paris as husband and wife for 10 years before he was in an accident that put him in a vegetative state until his death 10 years later. She responded, "Marva, don't give up hope. Hagi will get through this."

_He heard Marva's voice coaxing him toward her, but he couldn't find his way. The darkness swallowed everything and he began to run, but to where? He had no idea where he was or where he was going. He felt tired- tired of trying to reason his way out of this. It was time for action. He took off again and felt his body being pulled forward. Suddenly, colors bust around him and the sky was above him, a clear, bright blue. The ocean raced by below him as he caught an updraft, speeding him ahead. He felt the woman in his arms moaning as he pushed his body even harder to get there. "Hold on!" he cried out to her as he could feel all his strength being drained from him when he reached the coastline. Just another minute and we'll be there. He felt himself fall as his energy level bottomed out and he curled his wings around them to shield them from impact as much as possible._

_A soft couch upholstered in pink roses caught him as he closed his eyes. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the large living room that was decorated in pink and light green. He saw the small glass on the coffee table along with several coloring books and a multitude of crayons. He wondered at his feeling of annoyance, but that was short lived. A sudden impact resulted in a young girl, with curly, black hair straddling his waist. The impact would have completely winded a human. She smiled at him with her eyes squinted shut as she spoke, "Get up and play with us!"_

_He frowned at her and then turned his head to see a boy, about 6 or 7 carrying another boy, a toddler, both with black, curly hair and they stared at him with the same purple colored eyes. He heard himself say, "I have told you too many times that when you are done playing with something that you need to put it away."_

_The older one mumbled while the girl opened her lavender eyes and gave an apologetic look as she got off his stomach to go clean up her things. _

_He heard himself ask, "Where is your mother?"_

"_She's coming," they all chimed as they picked up the crayons and placed them in the box._

_Another boy, about 13 or 14 came into the room. He was cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, as his mother had asked. Hagi looked at him with wonder, the boy looked exactly like him when he was brought to the Zoo, but his eyes were not blue- they were the color of a royal robe, a color befitting royalty- royal purple. His hair was pulled back in a tight braid that reached his waist. He pointed to the cup and asked the girl, "Are you finished with that, yet?"_

_She responded by greedily downing the liquid in the cup before handing it to him and then asking in a whiny voice, "Do we really have to stay with Uncle Kai?"_

_The oldest boy answered for him, "Just until our baby brother is born." He then turned to Hagi and asked, "Right, Father?"_

_The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. All of them- all were his children? The eldest was practically his twin and the girl looked like-_

"_SAAAYYYAAAAA!" the voice rang out inside his mind._

Two weeks had passed and Hagi was still unresponsive. Julia and David were looking over the results of Hagi's brain scan as Kaori and Mao dragged Okamura on a shopping expedition in downtown Houston. Clay and Ellen headed back to the ranch in their van. Jim told them he'd drive Hagi's car back if something happened.

Kai, Marva, Jim, and Saya were in Hagi's room with the children, watching a home movie Marva had made a while back. It was of Hagi's birthday party. She knew he would have been upset that they had seen it, but she felt it was less embarrassing than the one's of Claudia's birthday parties where girls were fawning over him while he tried to find a polite way to escape. They laughed at his attempts to fade into the background or join the band that was playing only to be pulled away by a smiling Claudia.

Saya stared at the photographs Marva let her have. One was a family photo of Marva standing behind Hagi, who was seated in front of her off to the right and a seated Claudia off to the left. He actually had a small smile on his face. The next was him standing next to the stables in black jeans, a black western shirt, holding a lead rope attached to a beautiful red horse. She knew the horse's name was Fury and it amazed her that the horse was willing to even be near him. She knew that animals never came within 10 feet of a chiropteran, but this horse was not only near Hagi, but also let him ride! The last photo was her favorite- her handsome chevalier, in his black suit, tails flying along with his jet black hair as the horse raced down the trail. It reminded her of the fairy tale that Hibiki sang and Kanade translated. A black knight riding a horse made of fire.

As if she had heard Saya's thoughts, the young Hibiki began to sing the song Saya was thinking of. When she finished Kai had a look of annoyance, Saya smiled, and Marva and Jim had a look of curiosity on their faces. Saya explained the story as she knew that Kanade couldn't speak English. She showed the twins the photo in her hand.

Kanade looked at Kai and commented, "I told you, Dad. You didn't believe me."

Hibiki chimed in, "Yeah, Uncle Hagi is the Black Knight."

Kai retorted, "But isn't the Black Knight supposed to rescue the princess. I think the princess rescued him this time."

They both simultaneously stuck out their tongues at him. George looked at them and copied the action. Kai groaned, "Not you too, George."

The twins went to their Uncle's side and each grabbed a hand and spoke as one, "Uncle Hagi, everyone misses you and we want to see you open your eyes. Please, you have to wake up- your dream can't come true until you wake up."

_He was now in a white room, or hallway, he wasn't sure what it was. He saw a large number of people coming toward him. He instinctively reached for his daggers only to find he was completely unarmed. The throng was getting closer and he came into a fighting stance as he sensed chevaliers among them._

_Before he could come up with a plan, they were upon him. He saw some of the soldiers he knew had died in various wars that had occurred in his long lifetime as they passed by without seeing him. Next were his mother and father, Joel and the servants he knew at the Zoo, Karl, Solomon, James, and Amshel. He tried to speak as he saw Jeff walking and carrying an infant that he imagined was Serenity. George Myagusuku followed them with a few more losses he recalled, but he somehow knew that they would not respond. _

_After they all had passed him by, he turned to follow, but a voice behind him made him turn. "Haaaagiiii!" He looked around him, but saw no one there. "Haaaaggiiiii," it said again. _

"_What do you want?" he asked the air around him. "Who are you?"_

_Diva appeared in front of him and he came into a fighting stance again. She laughed as she spoke, "That won't do you any good here. I guess you haven't noticed- we're all dead."_

_He blinked as he stood back up, "Am I dead?"_

_She smiled and responded, "I don't know. Your expression always seemed that way to me."_

_He turned to look for the crowd, but it had vanished, "Where are they going?"_

_She shrugged and answered, "Where do dead people go?"_

_He sighed in frustration. Diva was absolutely useless. He began to follow where he thought the crowd had gone only to be physically turned around by the small young woman. "I thought you wanted to go back?"_

"_How do I go back?" he asked._

_She shrugged._

_He shook his head, "What do you want?"_

"_I'm here to help you," she answered._

_He held back the urge to say, "Some help you are."_

_She pointed the direction the crowd went and informed, "If you follow them, you will have eternal paradise." She then pointed behind her and said, "That way will take you back to the land of the living."_

_He looked both directions and then began to walk past Diva who smirked and stated, "They lied to you again. Why do you want to go back to them?"_

_He responded, "There is no paradise for me without Saya." He continued to walk. He heard a whisper in the air- "She is awake."_


	2. Chapter 2

Marva stopped for gas about 60 miles south of Dallas, called the clinic where Claudia was recovering and asked to speak with her daughter. She had previously spoke to the psychologist about the situation with her son and made certain that it would be alright to bring Claudia to see her brother, hoping she might be able to at least spend some time with him. Maybe the two would help each other to heal.

Claudia had been improving greatly in the past two weeks. Therapy sessions were helping her, especially the group sessions. She felt relieved to know that she wasn't alone in the world- there were others that suffered the same. There were days when she felt good and things were tolerable, but there were still days that made her want to curl up and cry herself to sleep. She was having a conversation with a sandy haired man that was roughly her age. He was from her group therapy sessions. One of the nurses came to her and told her that her mother was on the phone. When she came to the front desk, she wondered why her mom was calling instead of coming by.

"Hello?" she asked into the phone.

"Claudia, your doctor cleared you to come with me to Houston to see your brother," Marva informed.

"Why, Mom? What's the matter with Hagi?" she asked.

She took a breath, "Do you remember how we were all worried about how he kept trying to hide that he was sick?"

"Yeah," she answered as she remembered a couple of times where she saw him breathing hard and sometimes holding his chest. It mostly occurred when he thought no one was looking. She felt dread rising within her.

"He's in the medical center in Houston," she admitted. "Hagi is in a coma."

Tears fell from Claudia's eyes as Marva told her she would be there in another hour and would explain things on the way. Claudia hung up and ran to her room to pack her things.

Four hours later, Claudia arrived with Marva and Jim. Saya was talking to Hagi as he was still not moving other than his breathing. Saya's right arm was attached to a blood drip that was now empty. She carefully removed the needle and placed her finger over the wound to let it quickly seal. Through tears, she asked the unconscious man, "Why won't you wake up? Do y-you remember… I-I told you I love you, too? I still do, Hagi… but, do you still- love me? Maybe- maybe you don't want to be… with me- I am selfish and careless. I watched you go through so much because of me. Are you still asleep because you… don't want to wake up?" She felt the presences of two women coming into the room.

She turned to see the tall, brown haired woman she recognized from the photos and the fashion magazines Mao would often read. Claudia's eyes went to the still man as her hands covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes. Saya felt tears come to hers, as well. It amazed her that there were so many people, other than her, that loved the quiet man. She spoke softly, bringing the woman's attention and tear filled gaze to her, "Claudia."

Claudia looked to Saya and embraced her. She whispered, "Saya." They both cried for a minute as Marva watched from the door with tears in her eyes. Claudia spoke again, "I'm so sorry we have to meet this way. You and Hagi deserve way better than this."

Saya smiled through her tears in gratitude as Claudia broke away. She leaned over the stoic man and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear, "I'm here, Big Brother." She wiped the smudge of coral lipstick off his cheek along with her tears that fallen there. Her hand found his and she looked down in surprise. "He- his hands," she whispered and then smiled. "Both are healed."

Saya smiled as she looked at his face and mused, "I wish he was awake."

Claudia continued to hold on to his hand, even when it did not grip back. Tears fell as her voice broke, "Me too."

_He had first began his journey through the blank white hallway or room walking at a steady pace, but he heard so many voices around him- beckoning him back. Many of them were members of the Red Shield and Kai, then there was the twins, Lulu, Marva, and Jim. He was uncertain why he heard Saya's emotional voice and thought it was part of the dream. Now Claudia? He heard her and Saya calling to him. He thought of what he had heard earlier. Saya was worried that he had stopped loving her- impossible! She was everything to him! His life would cease to be without her. He realized he was running at full speed, trying desperately to reach her. He could hear Claudia and Saya speaking with Marva. He was aware of a few more voices now he thought out loud, "I am coming, Saya. I will come back to you."_

Kai entered the room with the twins, George, Michael, Lulu, and Kaori. He gave a warm smile as he remembered the tall, brown-eyed woman. "Claudia, you had me fooled for nearly 10 years," he teased as he shook his finger at her. She gave a warm smile in response as he introduced her to the large brood that came along with him.

They hugged as she asked, "So how did you like what I did to him?"

"That really didn't look like him. I'm surprised he didn't kill you for that, " he laughed, "It's still hard to believe he looked like that- you don't have any photos of him like that do you?"

Saya remembered how he looked that day he came to her room and gave a small giggle- it really didn't look like him.

Claudia looked at her mom as Marva answered, "He wouldn't allow it. Every time we tried, he would disappear."

"'That darn cat,'" everyone from the brood quoted. Saya explained, "It's the nickname Kai gave Hagi."

Marva and Claudia looked at each other and burst into laughter. Saya imagined Hagi would groan with embarrassment if he'd heard this conversation. She heard Claudia chime in, "Have you heard the nickname the ranch hands gave him?" Saya was on the edge of her seat as Kai shook his head with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Pretty Boy," Claudia smiled as she revealed it.

Kai still wore a look of disbelief as he responded, "And they actually call him that." She nodded. He sputtered out a laugh. The kids and Kaori joined in. When he caught his breath he asked, "He hasn't killed anyone for calling him... _that_?" He couldn't seem to make himself say the nickname for fear the stoic chevalier would rise from the bed and strangle the breath from him.

"No, and he's asked them to stop several times, but I think he finally accepted it now," Marva responded. As she gave a round of hugs and introductions, paying special attention to George who seemed to feel a bit left out. After all, everyone else was older than him.

Claudia gave a sweet smile as she came and embraced the children and Kaori. When she came to the twins, tears filled her eyes as she held them a bit longer and commented, "He talks about you two so much."

Kai translated her words as Saya seemed quite surprised. She didn't know about the money he sent Kai for the girls or about his secret visits with the twins, orchestrated by the small lavender haired girl in the purple hoody and matching skirt. She marveled at the green eyed girl that actually looked like a child. "Is this the Shiff girl, Lulu?"

"I am," Lulu responded as Saya and Marva exchanged surprised glances that asked,_ How did she know?_

Claudia smiled as she explained, "My brother shared a lot of stuff with me. He was very proud of you, young lady- you took on the huge responsibility."

Lulu spared a glance at the unconscious man that she thought of as a mentor, the man she felt she had let down, before her eyes went to the linoleum in front of her feet. "He won't be proud of me when he finds out I let them wake her."

She embraced the girl again and told her, "No, no, I know Hagi. I know he won't be upset with you." Her nurturing protective side felt compelled to protect the small girl, she pulled away and asked quietly, "Did they bully you into this?"

Lulu's eyes met hers and answered, "They wanted to save him and so did I."

Claudia nodded in understanding, "I'm glad you did. If you hadn't, I don't want to think what could have happened."

The room became sad again. The twins moved to Hagi's side and each grabbed a hand. They smiled to each other as they communicated in their private language that was completely done in their minds. Hibiki smiled to Kanade, "He's close. He will be here really soon."

_Hagi felt the twins pulling on his arms. He couldn't understand why they were pulling him forward, but he wasn't moving._

Kanade added, "I can hear his song." They began to hum the song in a slightly higher key, along with the faint one that emanated from him.

_He heard them humming the song she had taught him more than a century ago. He heard a voice coming from all around him whisper, "Why do you run to a destination that you already have arrived in? Don't you understand, you are already here?" He looked around the whiteness that was everywhere. He was becoming warmer as he felt everything still. He could feel his nieces' warm hands, smell Kai's aftershave, Kaori's perfume, coconut with lemon grass, the watermelon bubble bath- but mostly, he smelled Saya. She was so near it had to be a dream._

Saya's brows knitted together as she tried to concentrate, but her rumbling belly made it more difficult. She blushed as she noticed all the eyes on her.

"Come on, Saya," Marva said, "let's go get something to eat."

Lulu noticed the man's hands were now gripping the twins' hands and his brows furrowed for a second, but then his face went placid once again. She looked at the twins who returned her look and quickly moved their free hands to cover their lips with their pointer finger- their age old secret signal. She smiled knowingly and returned the gesture.

Saya rose from her seat next to her chevalier as Claudia informed that she would watch over her brother with Kai and his family while they were gone.

_Hagi furrowed his brows for the briefest second as he felt Saya leaving. What kind of dream was this if he couldn't have Saya with him?_

Hibiki thought quickly and asked, "Aunt Saya, shouldn't you kiss Uncle Hagi before you go?"

Saya looked at her and thought that it would be nice to kiss him, but not with all these eyes on her. Also, she didn't want to kiss him unless he could kiss her back. She moved over him to kiss his cheek.

_Hagi felt her warm lips press against his cheek. The sweet contact made him forget where he was or anything around him. "If this is indeed a dream, I do not want a kiss on the cheek," he told the dream scape._

The room shared a collective gasp as the comatose man's hands came up and cupped Saya's face and bring her lips to his own. His eyes remained closed. At first, Saya was taken completely by surprise, but that was soon replaced with the most wonderful joyous feeling that rushed through her like lightning. Her mind screamed, _He's awake!_ She pressed her lips against his even more as her eyes shut, but the kiss went no further than this.

Kaori stood in shocked amazement as she held George close to her and Kai interjected, "Now that's the best way to wake up! Way to go, Hagi!"

Kaori nudged him and shook her head as Hagi's eyes shot open. It wasn't a dream! She was awake and he was bold enough to kiss her… and in front of _everyone! _His hands moved away from her face and he became still.

Saya looked at him with confusion. She whispered to him, "Why did you stop?"

He answered in a low voice, "I apologize for being so forward, I…"

"You thought it was a dream," Claudia smiled as she moved near him. "Guess what? It's not a dream- you're alive and Saya's awake. Now you can live your dream."

He couldn't help but return her smile with a small one of his own. Her smile was something he hadn't seen in a long time.

Kaori came to his side and gave the stoic man a smile and said, "Saya, we'll go get you some food. You and Hagi should have some time alone."

Saya nodded her thanks and Kaori followed the twins, Michael, and George out of the room. Kai stood there, taking in the scene and was startled from a gentle nudge from his wife, reminding him that he was interrupting them. He smiled as he left the room and thought of saying something about the nickname Pretty Boy, but changed his mind when he saw the chevalier smile at Claudia and his sister.

The lavender haired girl shyly approached the bed with her hood over her head. She waited for Hagi to address her while Saya and Claudia looked down at her. Claudia put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she offered a pleading look to him on Lulu's behalf.

He turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He looked at the girl that had her hood up to keep her face hidden. "Lulu," he finally asked, "what is wrong?"

"I…" she started as she flustered with her words, "I… they told me you would die. I- if I didn't, she- you and you would…"

"Lulu, please put your hood back down," he requested. He watched as she revealed her face as she tried to hold back the tears as they welled in her eyes. "Remember, I told you that they would be persistant."

"I know," she moaned. "I thought I would just watch over her like I saw you do in New York, but I didn't know how hard this really is. I messed up, Hagi- I'm sorry."

Saya felt bad for Lulu, she didn't know how they had awakened her or how they obtained permission to awaken her. Now that she did, she felt a bit angry at Julia, Kai, David and all the others for pressuring her into it. At the same time she was glad for it, Hagi surely would be dead now if they hadn't pushed Lulu into waking her early.

Claudia understood, from what he had told her, Lulu was Saya guardian during her sleep since Hagi was too weak to do it for a time. Hagi was about to take back control when she lost her child and he felt obligated to stay in Texas until she was better, but then he fell ill himself. It made Claudia feel a bit guilty. If she could have controlled herself better, he would have been with Saya and protected her. Lulu would never have been forced into the situation that riddled her with guilt.

Hagi looked Lulu in the eyes and told her, "There is no need to apologize. I know you did it to save me." The relief on her face made everyone smile. He looked to Marva and added, "My mom betrayed my confidence by allowing the Red Shield to find me." He extended his hand to her and waited for her to come to him. He continued as Saya smiled to him, "I forgive her. She did what she had to in order to save my life, just like she did 10 years ago when I realized she has been more of a mother to me than anyone has." He looked at his hands- just now noticing them as the four females surrounded him. His look of surprise was evident in his face only for a quick moment before he came back to his usual expression. "My hands are healed," he observed. He then asked, "How?"

"Julia said that Saya's blood healed you," Lulu informed. "She thought that's what would happen when she gave you her blood."

He nodded and turned his gaze to Marva and asked, "Did you bring any of my clothes?"

Marva nodded, "Just some jeans and shirts. I didn't think to bring your suit."

"I would like to put some clothes on before anyone else comes in here."

Lulu took the hint and began to leave. She added, "I think you'll want to be alone with Saya so I'll talk to you later, Hagi." She made it to the door and added, "Thanks for everything, Hagi."

He wondered at her. Shouldn't he be thanking her? If she hadn't agreed to wake Saya, he would be dead. He felt Marva place a set jeans and a shirt on his lap as Jim came into the room. He came to Hagi's side and cupped his slender shoulder saying, "Welcome back, Pretty Boy, I'm glad you made it through okay."

Hagi winced at the nickname and his eyes fell on Saya who was giggling. A slight amount of color came to his cheeks as he tried to ignore the embarrassment he felt.

Claudia gave a smile as she asked, "Do you think you'll be alright dressing yourself?"

"I feel I am strong enough to get up and put something other than this on," he mentioned as his hand plucked at the thin hospital gown he was wearing.

The women made their way out of the room as Marva gave a look to Jim that requested he stay behind to supervise and possibly help Hagi. Jim helped him rise from the bed as the door shut.

Outside Claudia, Marva, and Saya waited and talked together. Saya was mostly quiet. She had placed her needs aside for the moment. She wanted to spend time alone with Hagi. She wanted to ask him how he felt about her and talk about where this new relationship was going. It wasn't long before Jim ushered the women back in the room.

Saya looked at him, sitting on the edge of the bed in black jeans and a button down white shirt. Her head turned downward as she felt color fill her cheeks.

His eyes immediately went to Saya as she came closer to him. Her scent was closing in on him, causing a tingling sensation to come to his hands. He was aching to touch her, but there were just too many eyes on them right now.

Claudia caught the look he gave Saya and her flushed expression. She thought better of coming back into the room, realizing the two needed to be alone. She cleared her throat as she looked at Jim and then told her mom, "I'm starving, why don't we go grab a bite to eat, Mom?"

Marva noticed the look on Hagi's face and smiled. "Jim, come with us," Marva requested. She came to Hagi's side and gave him a hug. "I'll see you in a bit. You and Saya have some catching up to do."

Hagi gave them a grateful smile as his sister embraced him. He whispered in her ear, "Thank you, Claudia."

Once they were gone, Saya looked at him where she stood. He was her chevalier, but her heart was pounding in her ears and her palms felt sweaty. She wondered why she was so nervous. Her feet began to move to him on their own accord as she felt his magnetic blue eyes drawing her to himself.

Before she could register what had happened, she was in his arms with her lips pressed to his. Her arms snaked around his waist as his hands gently stroked her hair. After a time, their lips parted and he pressed his forehead to hers. He spoke gently, "I will always love you. I meant what I said at the Met and when I was in Okinawa with you. Nothing will ever change what I feel for you, Saya."

Her hand came up and caressed a stray lock of hair from his face, brushing his cheek and jaw, causing barely noticeable shivers to run through him. She responded, "I- I don't know how long I've been in love with you. I know it must have been a long time because whenever I thought I'd lost you- it felt like a huge piece of me had just gone missing." Tears of joy streaked her face as she felt his two cool thumbs come to her face and wipe them away. His eyes danced with a fire she did not understand in her innocence. Her lips pressed to his again and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss as they seemed to pull each other closer and closer with each passing second. Her mouth opened and he responded the same, letting their tongues dance together. Both were immersed in the current of electricity that came from the close contact they had been missing from each other for so long. He broke the kiss and whispered, "I love you, Saya."

He continued to hold her close to him as she pressed her head to his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat and taking in his warm, welcoming scent. The smell was slightly distorted by the strong scent of rubbing alchohol, but she knew that with a warm shower, it would be gone. "Hagi, I love you, too. Don't ever leave me."

"I will never leave you, Saya."

The door opened as Julia and David came in, causing Hagi to stiffen and his joyous features clouded with the expression they were all familiar with during the war. The steel wall was back up.

Saya felt the sudden change and place her hand in his, pulling him toward Julia and David. She soothed, "Please, Hagi, they just want to examine you."

Julia sensed that Hagi was feeling better, but still not trusting them. "Hagi," she began, "I am sorry that we lied to you. We didn't want to get you upset or agitated in the state you were already in. Please, understand we only wanted to help you."

His glare became cold as he spoke, "You lied to me and you lied to Saya as well."

Saya moved between them and looked to her chevalier. "Hagi, it's alright," she soothed. "They were only doing what they thought was best."

"But…" he tried to say.

"No, Hagi. Now please, let them examine you," she commanded. Deep down, she hated doing this to him, but knew it was for the best. It was difficult for her to stand in authority over him since she wanted them to be equals, but she wanted him to be healthy and the only way to ensure it was if Julia examined him. She would deal with these issues herself, later.


	3. Chapter 3

Hagi sighed as he moved to the bed and lied down obediently. He remained stiff as Julia opened his shirt and felt along his chest mentioning they should take some additional x-rays to be certain there was nothing else that would give him problems. He remained still as she poked and prodded him, all the while he wanted to grab Saya and get as far away as possible. Her command held him in place and he was not willing to disobey her again. He felt her small hand grip his as she stood close to him. They looked into each other's eyes and let their surroundings melt away for a moment. All that existed was each other as they both communicated without words, sending thoughts of love and happiness.

Julia noticed that the chevalier had relaxed and caught the magnetic gaze between him and his queen. She realized she had interrupted the two and decided that the x-rays and blood work could wait a while. The two needed to be alone. David and Julia quietly exited the room and Julia closed the door with a knowing smile on her face.

Hagi sat up and buttoned up his shirt. His eyes met hers as she sat next to him on the bed. Oh, how he missed her burgundy eyes!

She gazed up see him turn his head and look down at her. That magnetic steel blue gaze paralyzed her as she brought her lips to his. He lifted his hand to caress her short hair, wishing he would have been there when she awakened. He loved the innocence and purity of her when she would enter the world with bright eyes, but he could hold her now. She remembered him; she remembered that he loved her- the world was right. He felt her break from the kiss and he gave a small smile as he took in her scent.

"Hagi, I missed you," she said as she returned the smile. She caught the scent of food and the presence of the twins. Kai was bringing her something to eat. She almost wished he could have waited a while longer, but her stomach was angrily demanding to be sated.

They barely registered the surprise as Kai, Kaori, and the kids came into the room with plates of food. Saya began to taste everything at once, it seems.

"Alright, Saya, don't inhale it," Kai scolded as he watched her stuff a sandwich in her mouth.

"Umm phun-ry, Hai," Saya tried to say while still dealing with her full mouth.

"Saya," Hagi scolded, "you know you shouldn't speak with a mouth full of food."

She rolled her eyes at them and continued to chew and then swallow before repeating, "I'm hungry, Kai."

Julia returned to take Hagi to run some more tests while Saya was eating. He reluctantly followed the blonde as he saw Claudia, Marva, and Jim walking up to the room. Claudia looked upset as Marva grabbed her arm and guided her into the room. The look on her face said it all, Julia was about to get it from his protective sister this time. He fell behind slightly so she wouldn't see the small smile on his face. He was wrong for it- he knew, but he had been commanded to be submissive and could not speak for himself. Claudia was more outspoken, even in the state she was still in and he knew she would do a much better job conveying the wrongs they had done to him.

At the same time, he felt the idea of allowing someone to protect him should feel foreign to him. After all, for his entire life he was never protected or cared for like this. The only person who had showed him any kind of affection was Saya, but he was her guardian and protector. Marva had been the first, other than Saya, to treat him like a person and not have her own agenda with him. Joel and Amshel wanted him to be Saya's guardian and eventually her mate, the Red Shield wanted to run tests on him. Marva treated him like a son and Claudia treated him like a brother. All the ranch hands treated him like a friend. He remembered that little Riku always tried to include him in everything the family did.

When the tests were complete, Hagi headed back to his room. His hand was on the doorknob when he felt a presence nearing to him. He turned to regard the man whose sandy hair was now graying at the temples and sideburns, but did not speak to David.

"She shouldn't have lied to you. We made a mistake," David said.

Hagi was surprised to hear the man apologize, but he felt uneasy about trusting them. "I accept your apology, but I have nothing more to say to you or your wife." He opened the door to his room slightly and added, "If you will pardon me, they are waiting for me."

He opened the door and began to make his way in when a manicured hand caught the door and Claudia caught her brother's look. Thankfully, no one in the room noticed the quick exchange. Hagi warned in a low tone, "Claudia…"

She didn't answer as she slipped out the door. Hagi followed her and quickly scanned the room to make sure no one noticed what had just happened before he shut the door. He was too late- she had already caught David and followed him with angry glare as they undoubtedly headed to wherever Julia was. He followed at a distance and listened in to what was being said as they came across the blonde scientist.

Saya had wondered what had happened, she felt Hagi coming into the room, but then he didn't. She got up and took her empty plates into the hallway, leaving behind the room of people that had come together from opposite sides of the world to save Hagi. "Where did you go?" she asked under her breath as she followed where he had gone.

Claudia took a deep breath before she began to speak, "I had every intention to come here and tear into your hide for treating my brother the way you have, but I know that there's already been a lot of people that came before me and did the same thing."

Julia stood still and silently awaited the lashing that was certainly about to come.

David's jaw tightened as he allowed the woman to speak, waiting to subdue any situation that may arise. He knew that what they had done had just incited the wrath of an entire family- a family that a week ago, they never would believe had existed. This man, which for all outward appearances, seemed to view his existence as nothing more than a body guard to one woman. David had no idea that 40 years ago, that was actually true. How things have changed in that time.

Saya found Hagi standing with his back to the wall watching around the corner. His hand went up, telling her to approach quietly. She came to his side wondering what the danger was until she looked around the corner and saw the three people talking.

Claudia looked back up into the eyes of the scientist and then the military man at her side. Tears welled as she spoke again, "He has been there for me my entire life. In that time I have seen him smile, laugh, become angry, protective, and even cry. What I see him become around you two chills me to the very core. You make him seem emotionless- even more than he usually puts on. I know he sees you two as the people he cannot trust and that's why you cannot lie to him. I don't think he'll ever trust you. Just do me a favor- no more lies and no more secrets. Honest and open and no more bullshit!"

The pain Claudia conveyed was almost tangible. Julia nodded her head and promised, "You have my word. I will be honest with him from now on."

Claudia gave a nod and kept an even expression as she turned to leave for the room.

Hagi steered Saya to another hallway so they wouldn't cross paths with Claudia. He would rather speak to Saya alone.

Saya spoke softly, "Wow, I never heard anyone defend you like that before. She really thinks of you like a brother."

"I was there when she was born and she has always known me as her older brother," he responded. "I could hear what was being said while I was…" He trailed off, not wanting to think about what had happened in his dreams. He only thought of them as dreams and nothing more, but they sure seemed real.

"While you were in a coma," she finished the sentence for him. She blushed as she thought of the questions she had asked him.

He caught her expression on her face and said, "Yes, I do still love you, Saya. I have never and will never stop." He looked down at her as she looked back up to him. He noticed the hallway was empty, except for them as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer as they deepened the kiss.

They pulled apart as a nurse rounded the corner. Saya mentioned, "So you met Marva and her husband in Paris and 10 years later she asked you to help her out. Was that when she decided to adopt you?"

"No, it was later, when Jeff passed away. We never discussed exactly what my part in the family. Claudia called me Big Brother even though no one ever told her I was her brother. When Marva decided to move back to the ranch, I needed a passport and birth certificate, so she decided I would be her son." He took a breath as he turned the next corner- away from the room.

Saya smiled as she looked down. It was nice to be able to talk candidly with him like they used to at the Zoo.

His eyes darkened as he recalled the sad day, "I was becoming accustomed to the life at the ranch. Claudia and I were always very close, but on her 16th birthday, something happened."

Saya placed a hand on his arm as they found a nearby waiting room and sat on a pair of chairs near the window. She turned and held both his elegant hands in hers as he recounted the story of how the relationship between brother and sister was nearly undone. It surprised her how much it seemed to hurt him, but it wasn't hard to understand why. When he became quiet, she noticed his jaw clench. She looked into his eyes and said, "You shouldn't blame yourself. I know she doesn't blame you- not anymore at least."

He turned his head away, but she caught his chin and turned him to look at her. She commented, "You taught me that. You told me all the time that it wasn't my fault the war happened. I was just doing what was right by all the innocent people out there. We all make mistakes and we just have to learn from them."

"I should have been more protective and not just then. I knew Gary was wrong for her…"

"Hagi," she interrupted. She then added, "No, I will not let you blame yourself like I did. Claudia made those choices and she had to pay the price. All you can do is help her pick up the pieces and be there for her." She decided to lighten the mood and asked, "What else did you hear while you were in a coma?"

He smiled and answered, "I heard Mom scolding Julia like one would scold a child."

Saya giggled as she thought of what that must have been like to hear. Marva seemed like a kind woman, but it was obvious the way she commanded Jim, and Clay and Ellen when they were there, that she was a tough woman. She then thought out loud, "So you call Marva 'Mom'?"

"I began calling her Mom when she and Claudia rescued me from the Met. They went through so much to save my life, the same way family would for one of their own. Just like Kai and Riku would travel the world, risking their lives for you."

"_They _rescued you from the Met? Kai and about 1,000 people scoured the Met and couldn't find a trace of you, but 2 women found you?" she asked in disbelief.

He chuckled and then responded, "Mom can be very strong willed. Nathan gave her some assistance."

"NATHAN?" she asked a bit loudly as the people in the waiting room turned to her. Color rose to her cheeks and she lowered her voice and asked, "Nathan Mahler? Didn't I kill him?"

He sighed and then responded, "Nathan Mahler was not Diva's chevalier- he was your mother's." He continued for a while, telling the story of how he ran into Nathan in Okinawa 10 years ago and about the knights and queens that were watching over them. He even told her about how they could mask their presences, a talent he had yet to master. They had even given him a letter that was in his room back at the ranch.

"I can't wait to see where you live," she commented. "It must be beautiful."

He rose from his seat and responded, "It is. There are rolling hills, tall grasses, cool ponds, and rugged ravines." He helped Saya up and mentioned, "We should go back, I am certain they are wondering where we went."

As they headed back to the room Saya asked, "What did they want?"

Hagi stopped walking and thought of how to respond. He had been dodging the subject of the warning that was given. How could he tell her that they warned him that he and Saya "being together" was unnatural, but they allowed it just as long as the Red Shield didn't try to experiment with the idea of reproduction? Their relationship hadn't gone further than kissing and they had not discussed marriage. If he told her now, wouldn't that be too forward? He wasn't sure what to do.

Saya saw the troubled look in his eyes and begged, "Please tell me this is not another war, Hagi. I just want to live without looking over my shoulder all the time. I want to have fun without worrying about fighting with whatever comes across my path."

"No, they do not want to start another war," he responded as they began to walk again.

"Then what is it they want?"

He stood in silence again. It was obvious she was going to demand the answer, so he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "They warned that a union between us was unnatural and that the First Queen Aksaya was going to allow it for this circumstance. They just do not want us to have children."

Saya's face went crimson with embarrassment; she looked around and hoped no one saw the exchange. She spared a glance to him before her eyes went to the floor. His hands were clenched behind his back and he had stopped moving, just as she did. His eyes were still closed and there was actually a bit of color glowing in his cheeks. "I-I am sorry. I- well I did not wish to embarrass you," he stammered out.

She smiled as she noticed he was having trouble with words. "So, are you asking me to marry you?" She fought the urge to look up into his eyes to see if the color on his face had gone a deeper shade from her boldness. She finally spared a glance from the corner of her eye to notice that she indeed did bring out a deeper shade of pink on his face.

He continued to walk toward the room and cleared his throat before answering, "It may be best to take things slow. I do not wish to rush you into something if you are not prepared for it."

She smiled as she followed him. It was hard to hold back the giggles at the thought that she had just made Hagi blush, but she also felt a little sad that he was not ready to marry her. She knew she shouldn't be ready to take such a huge step in their relationship, but why did she feel that she actually wanted to? Her hand grabbed his and they smiled at each other before they entered the room.

"Where have you two been?" Marva asked as they walked in.

"Oh, Mom," Claudia answered, "they couldn't get any privacy in here so they probably found a closet somewhere."

Marva gave her daughter a nudge as Hagi noticed color come to Saya's cheeks. He was too glad to get embarrassed. Claudia was able to tease him again. He wondered if she had forgotten that he could give as well as get. He responded, "No, we found a public waiting room instead." It was said low enough that only present company could hear it.

Saya was shocked at first, Hagi never joked like this, at least not since the Zoo. She was beginning to realize that Claudia certainly did bring out the hidden side of him.

"Oh?" Claudia asked as she raised an eyebrow, "Have you become so bold, Big Brother."

He returned the expression and answered, "Not at all. You have your mind in the gutter again, Sister. Saya and I were just talking."

Claudia stood and began glaring into his eyes, he returned the look as Saya moved to Marva's side, uncertain of what was going on. The entire room noticed that glaring contest between the two and Kai began to worry. He jumped up and began to move to separate the two, but Marva stilled him with one gesture. She explained, "It's only a game they play." Saya translated for Kaori and the children.

They circled each other holding their stiff expressions, but one blink from Claudia pronounced the winner and the loser. She laughed as her mother and Jim joined in with relief followed by everyone else. Hagi still held his gaze for a moment before he grabbed her in his embrace and whispered in her ear, "I have missed you, Sister." He heard her sob into his shoulder and pulled back slightly to look into her eyes.

Tears fell as she asked just above a whisper, "I'm so sorry, Big Brother. I was so caught up in my problems that I didn't notice how sick you were."

He looked into her eyes and responded, "Claudia, there is nothing to forgive. You have done no wrong by me." He pulled her into his arms as Marva joined them in a family hug.

"I have my kids back," Marva smiled as she whispered her happiness.

Jim decided to break the mood for the moment and mentioned, "Alright you guys, we gotta get stuff together and head out. We need to get a good spot for the fireworks."

The children jumped up and cheered as Kaori and Kai tried to round up their brood and head out.

"Fireworks?" Hagi asked Jim as Saya came to his side.

"July 4th, Pretty Boy," Jim answered. "Oh, I guess you didn't know you were out for nearly 2 weeks. Today's July 4th and Houston has the one of the largest fireworks displays in the US. We're all going downtown to check it out. Doc says you can go, too."

"We're going to go by the hotel and change if you want to ride with us," Saya said.

Hagi looked at his mother and asked, "Did you bring me here in my car?"

"Ellen drove us here," she responded.

His eyes clouded for a moment as he wondered how fast she had driven his car, but he shook it off. He noticed Saya's look of wonder knowing she had no idea that he even knew how to drive. He caught the keys that Marva tossed him and asked Saya, "Would you rather ride with me?" The smile she gave him in response was all he needed to know.

He followed the van to the hotel as Saya admired the red muscle car. "I'd never known you to be so flashy," she commented.

"It was large enough to carry cases of wine and as well as the cello," he informed.

Claudia chimed in from the back seat, "And it was red."

He looked in the rear view mirror and gave Claudia a glare.

Saya asked him to wait in her room as she changed into her shorts and a cotton t-shirt in the restroom, knowing it was going to be hot outside, even if the sun was setting. He noticed his old suit hanging in her closet and wondered why she had brought it.

She came out and noticed him wearing the jacket she remembered weeping into every night before her sleep. She looked down as she admitted, "I cried myself to sleep every night before I saw you again." He was on his feet in front of her now. She looked up into his eyes and finished with, "I missed you so much."

He wrapped his arms around her and let her embrace him tightly as tears seeped through the fabric. "I missed you, too, Saya," he whispered. He grabbed the hanger with the shirt and pants and wondered if Claudia could alter them to accommodate his wings. He offered her his arm and asked, "Shall we join the others?"

She snaked her arm through his and answered, "Yes. Let's go see some fireworks!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- This chapter is slightly shorter than my usual, but that's okay. This is for all you that want Saya and Hagi to have some alone time! Thanks to all of you for your patience while I had to go all the way to the library everyday just to update and to answer questions. I know I'm usually on top of things, but I wasn't that week. Much love to you all! I have been so loving the reviews! You guys are so very awesome. Special appreciation to BettyeK for making me look like one of the other nuts that hang out at the library all day. I could not stop laughing at that review! Without further insanity and rambling- chapter 4!**

They had to park about a mile from the show and walk in carrying chairs, coolers and baskets with food and blankets. It was 8pm and from what Jim explained, they had an hour to get settled before the show would begin. They found a nice grassy spot in front of one of the office buildings where a few other spectators had already set up and were enjoying their family picnics.

Kai, Jim, and Michael began to set things up. Every time Hagi would make an attempt to help, Kai or Jim would take whatever he grabbed away and reminded him that he was not to lift anything, not a finger. Saya sat on the blanket she had spread on the grass and patted the space near her, asking her chevalier to join her. He sighed as he came over, it didn't appear like he was going to be allowed to do much else. She leaned into his chest as he wrapped his arm around her.

Kaori joined them on the blanket with George as she watched the twins chase each other in a game of keep away. After shouting a warning to them to stay close, she turned and asked Hagi, "Aren't you hot in that jacket? Why don't you take it off?"

He really wasn't aware of the heat that still hung in the air even though the sun had gone down. Marva had placed a folding chair behind him in the grass and added, "Come on, let go of Saya for a minute and get that jacket off."

His arm reluctantly left Saya for a minute and removed the jacket. Marva took it from him and neatly draped it over the chair. She took in the muted scents that remained on the jacket and understood his reluctance at removing it. She smiled as she thought, _It's alright, you have the real thing now. You don't need to hold on to the memory_. By the time she turned around, she noticed he'd already gone back to where he had been.

Claudia joined her mother and noticed the couple that they had hoped and prayed for decades would end up just as they were now. She gave a contented smile and leaned against her mom. She murmured into her mother's ear, "So when do you think she's gonna make the next move and…"

Marva interrupted her with a hiss and a glare. Hagi turned his head slightly and gave a cold glare to his sister out of the corner of his eye. Saya and Kaori were chatting and playing with George, so the comment had gone unnoticed by the queen.

"What?" Claudia asked. "I was only joking."

"Did you forget that her hearing is as good if not better than his?" Marva asked.

"Oops!" Claudia smiled and shrugged as Hagi shook his head slightly. "No harm done- she isn't even listening." She motioned to the dark haired woman that was giggling at something Kaori had said.

Kai came up and smiled as he pulled Claudia aside, away from Hagi and Saya's hearing. He asked her if she could help with something just loud enough to throw the others off about what was really going on. Just as they rounded the corner he asked, "What did you mean by that?"

Claudia shook her head in uncertainty and asked, "What?"

"You said 'When is _she_ going to make the next move?'"

"Oh, you overheard me," she realized as he nodded.

"Yeah, I was going to ask you if you could keep an eye on the twins so Kaori and Saya could talk and maybe draw Hagi out of that shell, but then… well you know the rest," he explained. "So what did you mean- _she_ has to make the next move?"

"Claudia narrowed her eyes as she asked, "You seriously don't know?" She sighed animatedly as he shook his head. "Duh, in case you forgot- she _owns_ him! Haven't you noticed that all this time she's made _every_ move- save one?"

He shook his head obliviously earning him another exasperated sigh. "Which one?" he asked.

"Hello? When he woke up from the coma, _he_ kissed _her_, and then he 'apologized for being so forward'," she quoted as she rolled her eyes.

"What about what happened at the Met 10 years ago- he disobeyed her?" he reminded.

She snickered, "Yeah, like you had nothing to do with that Muhammad Ali." She threw a fake jab into the air, emphasizing her point. "By the way, thanks for hitting him."

The last comment earned her a huge laugh from Kai. He added, "I don't think I would have survived if he wasn't already doubting he could kill her."

"Yeah, I know," she responded as she remembered how he had become so sullen just before he left the ranch to rejoin Saya in Okinawa the first time. Then, she remembered how she had met a completely hopeless Hagi at the Eiffel Tower a couple of years later. The promise was eating away at him, devouring his soul piece by piece. "God, I want them to have a happy ending!" she interjected.

"Me, too," he agreed as he recalled the time after the Met. She came home everyday and went directly to her room and shut the door. Kai had followed her once and heard her reciting the lyrics to a song Hagi had written. Her sobs tore through his heart and he wished with all his might for Hagi to come back alive and safe. "Well, they seem happy now," he mentioned.

"Yeah, but he needs to pop the question already," Claudia groaned. "They've been together forever so they may as well."

Kai asked, "Does he even have a ring?"

She giggled wickedly and answered, "Yeah, he has it hidden in that crazy cello case of his. I know where it is, too."

"Really?" Kai asked. He stared off and thought out loud, "I wonder how long he's been carrying it around."

"I don't know," she answered. "I remember finding it one day when I was a teenager. I was snooping through his room, as usual, when I decided to check out the cello case."

Kai laughed at the idea of someone being able to sneak past the ever watchful chevalier. He could just see the young Claudia snooping around and trying not to get caught. "Why doesn't he ask her? I mean sure, they just got back together, but…" he trailed off as Kaori rounded the corner.

"What are you two up to?" she asked as she came up and gave Kai a quick peck on the lips and eyed Claudia.

Claudia ignored her glare and before she could respond Kai answered, "We were trying to figure out how to get Hagi and Saya to speed things along."

"If I were you two, I'd let them take things at their own pace," she scolded.

"Hmph!" Claudia complained as she folded her arms over her chest, "If they move at my brother's pace, we'll all be dead before he gets laid."

Kaori's eyes became as wide as saucers as Kai laughed at the woman's bold statement. He managed to sputter out, "Wait! Wait! Don't tell me he's a…" He began to laugh again- the idea of a 150-year-old virgin was just too much. His laughter soon subsided when he caught Claudia's narrow eyed glare. "You mean, he really is?!"

"Where have you been, Kai? Haven't you seen how he looks at her? She is the _only_ woman he looks at like that. If she is still a virgin, so is he, because she's the _only_ woman he's ever wanted."

"That's beautiful," Kaori observed, "he waited for her only."

Kai sputtered, "Yeah, no wonder he's so serious."

Kaori gave him a dirty look and responded, "I can just imagine how angry he'd be if he knew that you two were talking about this. I'm dragging you two back and I think you both should stop plotting behind their backs. It shouldn't matter how long it takes them as long as they're happy."

As the two sheepish looking sneaks plodded back to the picnic area behind Kaori, they noticed Saya munching on a large bowl of watermelon Lewis had brought. He had been working with an informant, trying to find the queens and knights that they had seen around Saya's resting place.

Julia and David arrived and took a few chairs near the blanket where Saya relaxed in Hagi's arms. Hagi stiffened as they spoke to him and his grip on Saya tightened while his small smile melted away. Saya felt his tension and pressed a large piece of the red fruit to his mouth and whisper something that made him relax a bit. Claudia giggled as she noticed him actually eat the piece of watermelon as she took the empty space on the other side of her brother with a sandwich she had grabbed from the cooler.

Hagi's eyes never left the pair that spoke to him, even when Claudia placed a hand on his shoulder and gave the pair a protective glare. She didn't notice Marva had come up behind them and offered one of her own as well.

"Oh, man, Julia, what did you do?" Lewis asked as he came upon the scene. Almost all eyes turned to him, but Hagi's remained glued to the pair in front of him. Saya's then found out what he had seen as she scanned her surroundings. Apparently, Hagi's family still saw the Red Shield as a threat.

Julia cleared her throat and said, "I know you are all concerned for Hagi and I do understand why. The Red Shield has seemed to view them as experiments and weapons before. I know I have, too. For my part at least, I no longer feel that way. When I began to work with Saya, I was curious, but then I got to know her as a person and began to think of her like a patient and then a friend. I felt so sorry for her when she thought she had lost Hagi."

She took a breath and continued, "I am truly sorry, Hagi. I have done no better to you than those that came before me. I am hoping, if you will allow me, to remedy the situation. I will no longer do any experimenting unless I have your full cooperation and I hope that you will allow me to continue to treat you."

Saya began to speak, but Julia motioned for her to remain quiet, "I know Saya has been commanding you to do as I say, but I would prefer if you did it because you are willing to trust me with or without her command."

He sat quietly for the moment, no one from the Red Shield had ever given him an apology. The pain and suffering that they had caused Saya and him throughout the decades was so great and he was certain that this small gesture was not enough to remedy the situation, but it was a start. At least he knew she'd be honest from now on and maybe- just _maybe_, they'd treat him like a human being for once.

Joel had arrived with Okamura and a wide eyed Mao. They joined the group and took a few empty chairs, but Mao took a spot next to Claudia and began to talk excitedly to her, ignoring the look Hagi gave her. Claudia couldn't help but laugh at the situation, Hagi clearly wasn't too fond of the woman that had joined them and Claudia remembered why.

"I can't believe you had my big brother scrubbing bathtubs and changing lightbulbs!" she laughed out as Hagi groaned and rolled his eyes. Saya's back was against him, so she didn't notice, but Mao did.

"I can't believe you just rolled your eyes, Mister!" Mao scolded as she pointed a finger at him, bringing Claudia and Marva to laugh even harder. She turned to see a gruff looking old cowboy joining in the laughing.

The cowboy then stated, "I thought only Claudia could make him do that!"

Saya looked up at him and noticed he was trying to keep the color from rising in his cheeks. This teasing was more than she liked for him. She rose and pulled him up. "I think we'll go for a walk. Be back in a minute."

The group made introductions as the pair continued to walk into the night. Fireworks began to explode in the sky, causing Saya to shiver. Her mind snapped back to the bloody scene in Vietnam.

_She had to find the song. Huge gray monsters sneered behind pink, blood-stained teeth. She raised her sword and brought it down, slicing one in half vertically. The two halves fell aside allowing her to see one that gave an almost intelligent smile. _It spoke to her._ They never speak, just growls and snarls. This one slashed at her with dagger like fingers and caused her great pain- make it stop! She was on the ground as a another voice asked if she was alright, but all she could sense was another enemy presence. The man seemed hurt she didn't recognize him. He took off, attacking the talking creature and giving her the distracion she needed. She finally had him! She raised her sword and brought it down, slicing his arm. It wouldn't be a fatal wound, but her blood began to immediately cause crystallization in his arm. He ripped his arm off to keep himself alive and quickly disappeared. _

_The noise of the villagers caught her attention. She ran off in their direction and brought her sword over her head. A dagger blocked her motion with a metal on metal clang. "_Hagi," her present mind registered the sweet angelic face. He was in pain. _She brought her sword down again as his voice begged, "Saya stop." _

She felt Hagi place her in the passenger's seat in his car and lay it back. He closed the door and was in the driver's seat in less than a second. He had sensed she was having a flashback and decided it was best to get her away from the loud noises.

She felt him driving down the road as a question rang out in her mind and his painful expression burned through her. _Don't you recognize me?_ Tears fell from her eyes in crystal streams that glittered in the dimly lit interior of the car. "Oh, please stop. Please, please, please, stop," she muttered to her flashback. She pleaded with her past self to recognize the man before the blade removed his arm, yet again- before she relived the cause of so much pain for her faithful companion. Again, the flashback continued- _She brought her sword down, separating his arm from his shoulder. She watched as everything went in slow motion, his amputated limb falling away in a torrent of blood as his porcelain face contorted with pain. His scream of pain echoed in her mind. _

Hagi found a quiet, tree filled park and stopped the car. The back light from the display played on his features in a green glow as he turned to Saya, concern evident in his face as well in his voice as he asked, "Are you alright?"

He moved her bangs from her face and wiped away her tears, but they just kept coming. She sobbed out, "I'm so sorry, Hagi." She brought his right hand to her lips and kissed it several times.

The gesture told him all he needed to know. She was having a flashback of Vietnam. It was a painful subject for both of them. He pulled her into a hug and let her sob into his shoulder. He simply breathed her name into her hair. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes as he responded, "Saya, there is nothing you need forgiveness for."

"Yes there is," she demanded. "I had a lot of time to think when I thought you were dead and then when you were in a coma. I take and take from you and I never give you anything- never!"

"Saya, I…"

"No," she interrupted as she put her hand up. "I can't keep going on like this. I don't want a slave that does everything I say out of loyalty or- or blind obedience."

His eyes widened as he wondered where this was going. Was she dismissing him?

Her expression was filled with sadness as she continued, "I-I don't want you to do everything I say anymore. I want you… you should make your own decisions. If you want to stay with me- then stay, but- if you- want to leave…" tears streamed down her face at the thought that he now had the option to leave. She couldn't bring herself to even think he would leave her, she couldn't imagine a life without him. Her heart ripped in half at the thought of even trying.

She felt the calloused fingers grip her chin and turn her to face him. His mouth sealed over hers in a forceful kiss. Her eyes shot open wide with surprise- he had chosen her! He really had chosen her. He told her that he would always love her, but she wasn't certain, knowing that he was her chevalier- how could she be sure he wasn't just being loyal. Now she was certain that he loved her. Her eyes closed as her arms went around him. Her mouth opened and his tongue explored her mouth. She responded with a moan of pleasure, causing him to shiver. Her hands roamed along his spine and then along his strong neck as they pulled closer, but the console hindered their movements. She broke away for a moment and suggested, "Should we move to the back seat?"

The very idea of what she was suggesting made him cringe- in the back seat? Like a common- urgh! It was true, he wanted her, but he wanted to honor her as well. This was no way to do that. He regained his composure and cleared his throat before suggesting, "Let's go for a walk, instead."

She resisted the thought of protesting, but then agreed, unsure of why he wasn't willing to continue kissing. Her innocent mind didn't register that what she had suggested sounded like anything more than just more snuggling and kissing.

They walked hand in hand through the park. The trees were clad in garlands of Spanish moss and the air held the slight smell of water. She could hear the nearby rush of water coming from the river. This place was beautiful and full of southern charm. She had seen a few movies of the southern plantations and recalled places like this from the films. They came across a white washed gazebo and decided to take a seat. She scanned her surroundings as a few fireflies blinked their chartreuse lights in the distance.

The occasional muted boom echoed in the distance, but the pair continued their conversation. Sweat formed on their brows as a warm summer breeze rustled the leaves in the tall pecan trees as squirrels darted about. "So, now we aren't just queen and chevalier," she mentioned. "So what are we?"

She noticed his cheeks become flushed and knew very well that it wasn't from the heat. He gave her a small smile and responded, "I would hope that all this kissing would make it obvious."

She tittered out a laugh and responded, "You're my boyfriend now, right?"

He smiled and answered, "Yes, so that would make you my girlfriend."

"Mmm," she smiled, "it makes us sound like a couple of kids in school, not two immortal chiropterans that have already lived longer than any human could."

He smiled as he stood and pulled her up with him. He heard her hum her approval as he pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her passionately. His strong arms pulled her closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down, closer to her. He lifted her off the ground as her foot came back. She gave a slight giggle as they continued to explore each others mouths. He pulled away and whispered across her neck, "I love you, Saya."

His warm breath caused electric shivers to race through her body. She gasped as he kissed her neck gently. She had never felt this way before, he had brought an excitement to her that clouded her thoughts. Her hand roamed across his neck gently, caressing the sensitive skin. He gave a slight shiver as he held back the urge to moan. He longed for her to feed from him, but Julia's test results wouldn't be back until morning.

She knew this too, but found that she was enjoying his reaction to her gentle, uncertain caresses. His eyes were closed and his jaw was tight as he stifled another moan. Her hand traveled down his chest and began to open the buttons on his shirt. He tried to keep his voice even as he said her name in warning, but it came out sounding like a moan. Her lips gently brushed his neck causing a gasp to come from him.

He was trying desperately to control his thoughts as her hands explored his neck, but when she opened his shirt and kissed his neck, he felt his resolve melting. He pulled away and pleaded, "Please, Saya. This is… i-it is too fast."

She noticed he was panting as he tried to regain his composure as she sat down again. She enjoyed that she was able to tear down that expressionless wall he put up with just these simple caresses, but she found that she enjoyed the sensations she felt, too. "Hagi," she responded, "I want you to kiss me and touch me, I thought you wanted to…"

He joined her on the bench, taking her hand in his, "I do want to touch you, more than you can imagine. I just want to do this in an honorable way."

"You mean you want to marry me?" she asked.

He turned to look out at the stars, trying to find the words to explain what he felt. He answered, "I… I do not know if we are ready for marriage."

"Hagi," Saya said as she pulled him back to her, "I don't know either, but if you want to things slow, then that's what we'll do. I love you and I know that you are worth waiting for."

His heart felt as if it could leap for joy, she said that he was worth waiting for. In all the years of fighting and standing by her side, he'd never imagined her saying anything this wonderful. His hand came up and caressed her cheek. She pulled closer and kissed his lips gently as the fireflies had surrounded the gazebo in twinkling chartreuse lights.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a month since Saya and Hagi had their talk in the quiet park. They were back at the ranch and taking their new relationship one step at a time. He took her to a county fair and dances during the weekends.

A week after they came to the ranch, she had asked Marva if she could stay at the ranch to continue sorting out her and Hagi's relationship and getting to know the people that cared so much for him. She noticed the relief in her handsome chevalier's blue eyes when she asked to stay as Kai planned to take his family back to Okinawa. Kai asked her if she was sure she'd be alright without him and Kaori. She nodded as tears filled her eyes. She really didn't want them to go, but she knew the girls had to go back to school and Kai needed to run Omoro.

She had found that she enjoyed helping Marva with the fences and the garden that she planted a while back. Marva showed her where the blackberries vines were growing and would produce in May of the following year. There were tomatoes, onions, herbs, corn, green beans, squash, and cucumbers. Anna and Marva taught Saya how to preserve the vegetables by canning them. She was fascinated by the pickles and tomato sauces. But she soon eyed the 12 jars that were on the top shelf. She found out that they were indeed blackberry jelly. She smiled at the idea of taking Hagi on a picnic.

He gladly offered her his room and stayed in the cabin with the ranch hands. Saya protested that he always watched over her when she slept, but he reassured her that he would be near and that this was appropriate for the new relationship.

Saya enjoyed spending time exploring the ranch each morning after her huge breakfast. She would always try to get him to eat more than just the occasional piece of jelly toast and tea, but she could only get him to try a couple of bites before informing her that he did not need to eat. She would usually let out a sigh before she gave in and contentedly smile at him as she took another bite of food.

Hagi took her to meet Fury the same day they had returned to the ranch. She nervously stood next to Hagi outside the stall, feeling his cool hand squeeze hers in reassurance, he opened the stall door and let the horse take in the familiar scent. To Fury, Saya seemed like someone very similar to his master. She smelled of blood and danger, just like him, and she produced a juicy apple. The horse gave a soft nicker as he took the apple and allowed her small hands to scratch his neck.

Julia and David returned to Okinawa a week ago. Hagi still did not trust them completely, but allowed Julia to treat him anyway. All of his test results came up clean and he was now at full strength once again. Julia had given temporary care of Hagi and Saya over to a clinic in Dallas where they would receive transfusions as needed, but if there were any concerns, she was to be notified immediately. They updated Hagi and Saya on the progress of the Red Shield and the advances chiropteran DNA had made in medicine. Julia then informed Hagi and Saya that Saya would only need the injection once a year and she would not go into another long sleep again.

Marva had taken Claudia back to the institution shortly after they returned to the ranch. Claudia had reasoned that she still was not completely ready to return to life as usual and so Marva agreed to take her back, even as Hagi protested. He did not like the idea at all. He explained that Claudia seemed to make better progress around her family than in the cold hard walls of the institution. He was on his way to visit her as he scanned the summer skies. He knew Saya would be upset when she found he had gone without her, but he needed some time alone for a bit.

Claudia entered the visiting room and was surprised to see her brother staring out the window at the cloudless skies. "You didn't bring Mom or Saya?" she asked.

"I wish to speak with you alone," he responded as he came to her side. "I want to know why you came back here."

She sighed and sat down, motioning for him to join her. He shook his head as he towered over her, his gaze demanded an answer without any further interruptions. She responded, "Hagi, I'm just not ready to go back out there." She gestured toward the window, emphasizing that she meant out of the institution.

His elegant eyebrow raised as he asked, "You wouldn't be lying to me? You should know better by now."

She sighed and then tried to reason, "Big Brother, I'm not as strong as you are, I can't just go back to business as usual. I lost Serenity and then Gary, too- I almost lost you."

He then sat next to her and took her hands in his, "But you did not lose me. You still have Mom, all the ranch hands, and you have me too.

She gave a sweet smile and commented, "Saya has brought such a change in you. I am glad you have her now."

"Stop, Claudia, I know that you are trying to change the subject," he admonished. "You know very well that you and Mom have done just as much if not more to keep me going to this point. I refuse to let you give up on yourself. I know you would never give up on me, so I will not give up on you. I want you to check out of this place and come home."

Claudia turned her face away from him as a single tear fell down her cheek. She whispered, "I'm just not ready."

He pulled her into his arms and she wrapped hers around him. She didn't sob or cry- she was contented to just be in her brother's embrace. She felt his voice vibrate through his chest as he spoke, "Claudia, please, come home. I want you to be happy again."

"Hagi… Big Brother, I will be. Give it time," she responded as she pulled back and kissed his cheek.

He watched as she began to walk toward the door. He looked at the floor, but continued to speak, "That is what Mom keeps telling me, but I saw you at the hospital and when we were at the picnic. You were happy, Sister," he argued. He looked up to see she was standing still as she listened. He was now at her side and forced her to look him in the eye.

She was surprised by this bold action, he was never forceful with anyone, but she saw the sorrow and fear that were in his eyes, he was worried about her.

"Claudia, I have failed to warn you twice when you were about to make a mistake, there will not be a third time. I am telling you that you need to come home," he insisted.

She pulled away from him and coldly responded, "This is my mistake to make, Big Brother. All I want is your support, but apparently I don't have that. You should go."

It was his turn to be surprised, he hadn't intended to sound so forceful. He only wanted to convince her to come home. He took in a breath and then responded, "I only meant to convince you." He grabbed her hand and spoke, "I want you to be there the way you were in France and New York. I needed you to be there for me when times were bad. I want you to be there now, during the happy times."

She turned to him and placed her hand on his cheek. Her yes danced with tears as she responded, "I will soon, Big Brother, just please be patient. I have some unfinished business here, but I will come home, I promise."

He brought up his hand between them and offered his pinky finger giving her a serious look and asked, "Promise?"

She gave a giggle as tears of happiness fell and she wiped them way. She locked her pinky with his and agreed in their secret way of sealing a promise, "I promise you, Big Brother- I will come home soon."

His pinky squeezed around hers and he locked his eyes with hers. "One month," he bargained with his steel blue gaze.

"Big Brother," she whined.

"Two weeks," he stated as he lowered his voice.

She locked eyes with him and finally caved, "One month. Jeez, you drive a hard bargain!"

"I had a good teacher," he teased as she began to laugh. She looked down at his hand and noticed that his nails were uneven and a bit dirty.

She smiled and suggested, "Hey, I'm gonna do your nails, I'll be right back."

He sighed and shook his head as she hurried off to get her supplies.

~ At the ranch~

Saya awoke and wondered why she didn't feel Hagi's presence anywhere nearby. She found a note on the nightstand in his handwriting and read through it.

_Saya, _

_I need to speak to Claudia alone and I will return before dinner. I love you and I will return soon._

_Hagi_

At first she was a bit put off that he had left her behind, but then remembered how he argued with Marva so strongly that he didn't want Claudia to go back to the institution. "I get it," she murmured as she felt him respond from across the distance. His message of love vibrated through her body bringing a sweet smile to her face.

She arose and went to the shower, grabbing her pink blouse and white lace skirt. She searched the drawer of the dresser for a fresh set of undergarments and found the two folded pieces of paper. She smiled as she remembered every word written on each one.

She came to breakfast fresh from the shower and all the women of the household joined her. The men always ate before the sun rose. As the women ate, Marva asked Saya, "Where is Hagi this morning?"

"I think he went to see Claudia. He left a note on the nightstand that said he wanted to be alone with Claudia for a bit," Saya responded between bites.

Marva gave a knowing smile as she thought of what her son was up to. Sure, he was going to visit his sister, but she had been around him long enough to know that the woman his universe revolved around was about to have a birthday and they had not been apart at all since he had awakened from his coma. He was about to get her a gift.

Anna asked, "Miss Saya, what kind of cake would you like for your birthday?"

Saya stopped chewing for a minute, surprise evident in her expression. She had been so busy with the new relationship, she had forgotten about her birthday. She swallowed and responded, "Chocolate." She then added, "I totally forgot it was my birthday. What's the date anyway?"

"Today is the 3rd," Maria informed. Saya used to feel a bit uneasy around the maid, Hagi informed her that Maria was quite a romantic and seemed to be in awe of their relationship. Saya could understand the starry eyed girl's feelings. She remembered that same look came from a school girl in Vietnam named Min. She would gaze longingly at Hagi when she thought he was the phantom, Saya had to choke back a giggle as she remembered how all the girls at the school looked at him- how she looked at him now! She then began to pick at her food, realizing she must have been full. She pushed her plate away and excused herself.

"Are you okay, Saya?" Marva asked. "You only had one helping this morning, you usually have at least three."

She smiled and responded, "I'm fine, I just wanted to go check some things out." She headed out the door and walked along the trail to the stables where she saw Eric riding in the practice arena. He guided the horse around the orange barrels carefully and quickly as he stayed steady in the saddle. Saya climbed over the fence to watch him a while. He continued to practice without noticing her for about 15 minutes before he happened to glance her way and tip his hat, "Ma'am."

She smiled in return and watched the dark haired man ride up to her. His horse was a beautiful chestnut stallion that was close to the same height as Fury. She smiled as she commented, "He's a beautiful horse."

"He has a beautiful sire," he returned as he nodded to the stables.

Saya turned her head to the stables and then turned her head to him again. She asked, "You mean Fury…"

"Yep, Fury is pretty popular around here. Everyone likes his spirit and the awesome red color of his coat," Eric informed as she reached out and stroked the chestnut's coat. "Marva has been trying to get an offspring with the same color for Hagi."

Saya sat up and gave him a questioning look.

He chuckled, "Horses only live so long, Fury is coming up on 25- that's pretty old for a horse."

"You mean Fury is…" Saya couldn't bring herself to finish the question. It hurt to think something that Hagi cared for so deeply may not live for much longer. "Does Hagi know?"

"Of, course!" he responded, "Everything dies in it's time, even a horse as legendary as Fury."

"Everything dies," she murmured and then thought, _Not everything dies. Hagi and I don't._

She watched Eric practice for a while before she jumped down and began to walk the path to the winery. Eric called out as he took the horse into the stables, "You really shouldn't go anywhere in this heat, Saya. I'm about to head in myself."

She smiled and shouted back, "I'll be fine."

She wanted to see how Dan was doing and to taste some of the grapes that they just harvested. Feeling dizzy from the heat, she went off the trail for a bit to stay in the shade of the crepe myrtles that colored the edge of the trail pink, lavender, and fuchsia. She finally made it to the winery, sweat covered and tired. Dan looked up from his task to see Saya swaying and her face was flushed from the heat. He came to her side just as she fell into his arms. He began fanning her and making her sip cold water. "You okay, Saya?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered weakly as she tried to rise, but Dan pushed her back down gently and placed a cool towel over her forehead.

"What were you doing walking around in this heat? It's 104 out there!" Dan informed as he called Marva on his cell phone.

Marva arrived in her small car and cranked the AC to max as she rushed inside. Hagi had already called her asking if Saya was alright. She informed him that Saya had been out in the sun all morning and then fainted from walking to the winery. Marva cringed at his next comment knowing that she should have paid closer attention to where Saya was and where she was going.

Saya was feeling better and just wanted everyone to stop worrying, but when she tried to stand up, she felt dizzy and fell back into Dan's arms. He told her, "Saya, you are going to have one killer headache soon. You need to rest and cool off."

Marva settled her into bed after wiping her down with a cool cloth and dressing her in a loose fitting cotton gown. She propped Saya up with a few pillows and gave her some pain killers and a cool glass of water.

She still felt warm, but noticed she wasn't sweating. She asked, "What happened?"

"You were overcome by the heat and your body is dehydrated. You have to be careful here in the summers, they can kill. The heat can go up to 110 degrees and being out there for as long as you were would kill a human," Marva answered. "Just rest, Hagi will be here soon."

She realized Hagi must have already suspected something was wrong. She looked at Marva, "I'm so sorry. I should've been more careful."

Marva waved and chuckled, "Don't worry about it. You're going to have one killer headache to worry about soon enough. We're used to people overdoing it when they come here for the first time."

They were right. Saya's head began to feel like it was being squeezed all over. She kept pressing cool compresses to relieve the pain. She vaguely overheard Hagi fussing at Marva about the situation before she felt him come to her side.

His hands caressed her forehead and helped her drink some water. His deep voice soothed her as he asked her if she wanted anything. She grabbed his hand and answered, "No." She pulled him to lie next to her. She then added, "Just talk to me. I missed you."

He gave her a small smile as he spoke gently, offering a drink of water now and then and stroking her cheeks and forehead. He told her of the places he had visited while she was relaxing and listening to his voice.

Marva watched from the doorway before she slipped in and replaced the empty glass of water with a full one. Hagi smiled his thanks as he reached for the cold glass. She continued to watch as the sun set in the background, wondering if either of them knew that he had been talking to her for nearly 4 hours, the longest anyone on the ranch had ever heard him talk.

Maria came to her side to announce dinner was ready, but smiled sweetly at the sight of the tall, handsome man and the sweet young woman that he loved, both relaxing in the bed. She smiled as she whispered, "Mrs. Marva, Anna says dinner is ready."

Marva nodded and came to Hagi's side. "Hagi, "she whispered, "do you think Saya will want to eat anything?"

He smiled in gratitude as he answered, "I believe so, but I think she should eat in here."

"Of course," Marva responded. "I think you should keep the lights down, too. They may be too harsh for her right now."

He nodded as he turned to her and brushed his hand over her face and through her hair. He felt the audience had left and he whispered in her ear, "I love you and I cannot wait to take you to all the places I have seen. I want to show you the world without the bonds of war that weighed us down for so long." He gently kissed her cheek.

She smiled as she responded, "I can't wait, Hagi." She turned to him and pressed her mouth to his in a sweet kiss. She pulled back and smiled as her stomach let out an angry grumble. She had missed lunch and her stomach apparently knew it was now dinner time. Her face flushed crimson as she looked at Hagi.

He smiled and responded, "I will return with dinner, Saya." He began to leave, but nearly ran into Maria and Marva carrying plates of food and a bed tray. He moved aside and took a few plates from Marva as she moved to get Saya settled and ready to eat. He placed the additional plates on the nightstand along with the new glass of ice water. Maria placed two plates in front of Saya and left to join the others for dinner with Marva following.

He stood by the bed and watched her eat. He answered her questions and smiled as she tried to talk through her full mouth.

Saya finished the last bite and handed the plate to Hagi and he hauled everything back to the kitchen, leaving her to rest. He entered the kitchen to see Maria and Anna doing the dishes and conversing in Spanish. He handed Anna the empty plates as she noted, "You're girlfriend has a healthy appetite."

He smiled in return as he helped put the dried dishes away. The two women spoke with him in Spanish and were always surprised at his ability to speak Spanish as fluently as he spoke English. It was surprising since they both knew that Marva had explained that he was born and raised in France. They were blown away when they overheard his girlfriend and him speaking what Marva had explained was Japanese. Maria once asked him how many languages he spoke. He simply responded, "All of them."

After the dishes were done he went to his room where Saya was sleeping, or rather trying to sleep. She tossed and turned and by the time Hagi entered the room, she had the covers wrapped around her like a cocoon and was kicking to free herself. He helped her untangle herself and suggested a hot bath. She nodded and corrected that after her heat issue she'd prefer lukewarm.

He went into the restroom and filled the tub with scented bubbles and lukewarm water. She entered the restroom as he rose and left. He reached in leaving a fluffy towel on the stand near the tub. "Goodnight, Saya," he spoke while he kept his eyes averted.

He heard the water splash as she moved and called out to him, "No, Hagi. Please stay with me tonight." He shook his head, but her pleading voice commanded him, "Hagi, stay with me." It was a command and old habbits die hard, he backed out of the restroom without a response, but she knew that when she emerged from the restroom, he would be there.

Marva came into the room to check on everything when she noticed Hagi was in the room and could hear Saya in the restroom. She sat next to him on the bed and said, "Hagi, I should have been keeping a closer eye on her today. I am really sorry."

"That is fine, Mom," he answered as his mind was elsewhere.

"What is it? You seem like something's wrong."

"Everything is fine," he answered and then looked at the restroom door and mentioned softly, "Saya commanded me to stay with her tonight."

She smiled as she responded, "That's great! You will be able to watch over her without being out of the room. I'm sure she'll feel much safer with you being in the room with her."

"It is not proper that a man stay in the same room with his girlfriend."

"Oh, is that what's bothering you?" she asked. "No one here will condemn you, they know how strong your values are."

He wondered if his values would hold up against the desires that were rising within him. "Would you mind if I played the cello tonight?" he asked.

She smiled, "Of course you can, we've all been around you long enough to know how you love to play. It always soothes us all to sleep.

The stars twinkled brilliantly in the clear night sky as the crescent moon cast the ranch in shadow on shadow features. The beautiful resonating tone of a cello lulled everything in the household to sleep.

**A/N Okay, I know it's probably sappy and cheesy, but in case you haven't noticed yet, I like that kind of thing! Again, I thank you all for your reviews- they certainly make my day!**


	6. Chapter 6

It was early November and the leaves had changed from a rich green to gold, russet, and red. Hagi drank his tea as he watched the leaves falling from the dining room window. An early morning frost glittered on the grass in translucent crystals, making the morning seem almost magical. He had already finished his chores and waited for the rest of the household to awaken.

Anna was already in the kitchen cooking potatoes and chorizo with eggs. He could smell the aroma of coffee and homemade tortillas filling the house and rousing the inhabitants.

The first one to come into the living room was Okamura. He mumbled a greeting and Hagi simply nodded in return turning his gaze back to the window. Okamura and Mao had come to the ranch to visit with Saya on their way to Florida where they were to meet with a contact. Mao decided she wanted to take Saya shopping today and drag Okamura along to carry the bags. Saya gave a pleading look to Hagi the previous night, but he responded that he would like to go by himself. He wanted to do his Christmas shopping before the holiday season got into swing and the crowds took over the malls and shops. Claudia practically begged him to take her, too.

He smiled to himself as he thought about the day that he reminded her that her time was up and she needed to leave the institution. She didn't want to believe that he really would drag her out of there kicking and screaming, but he almost had to. When he went to pick her up, she shook her head emphatically with a warning, "Hagi, no, no, NO!" When he grabbed her around the waist to lift her over his shoulder, she cried out, "Okay! Okay, you win!" Such a playful scene for such a somber place. He knew that she wanted to visit the place again today. _I wonder what secret attachment she has to that place, _he thought, but he was already certain he knew the answer and it had sandy blond hair and green eyes.

He was startled from his thoughts when two small but strong arms snaked around his shoulders and he smelled the warm, sweet scent of his queen and love- his everything. He embraced her as they both looked out the window at the frosty morning. His steel blue eyes slipped to her and noticed she was wearing the diamond earrings he had given her for her birthday. He loved how the flash from them played against the way her eyes danced when she looked at him. He heard her voice as she uttered just above a whisper, "Good morning, Hagi."

Her burgundy eyes turned to meet his. He saw the studs in her ears flash in the morning sunlight, accenting the way her eyes seemed to sparkle. He responded with a small smile, "Good morning, Saya."

She loved how it felt when she was in his embrace, warm, safe, and filled with love- like no matter where they were she was home. His voice was calming and peaceful as it vibrated through to her heart. He looked at her with such devotion and love. It made her feel exceptional, placed on a pedestal to be awed and admired, yet somehow touchable.

When everyone had their fill of breakfast, Saya pulled Hagi into her room. "I really wish you were coming with us." Her eyes slid to the floor as she conveyed her sorrow at the thought of being parted from him almost the entire day.

He gave a small smile and responded, "I wish that we could spend the day together as well, but Okamura and Mao want to spend time with you." Her eyes still looked away from him. He added, "Saya, how can I get you a Christmas gift if we are always together? I only wish to surprise you."

She smiled and looked up into his eyes, she responded, "I suppose it wouldn't be a surprise if I went with you." Her smile turned downward. She twisted one of the studs in her ear as she looked away, biting her bottom lip.

"I will miss you," he said as he placed a hand on her cheek and turned her face to look at his.

She put her hand over his as she stood on her toes and kissed his lips gently. "I'll miss you, too," she responded.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed their lips together. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

They pulled apart as they heard Okamura shouting that they were ready to leave.

"I love you," Hagi smiled at her as his arms were reluctant to release her.

"I love you, too, Hagi," she responded as she wanted so much for him to just continue to hold her. She really didn't want to go anywhere without him.

He sat on a bench and fed the ducks that were still at the pond despite the threat of the oncoming cold weather. Claudia went to visit the institution and would return shortly. Hagi used the time to practice concentrating. He stilled himself and steadied his breathing, timing it with the breeze that rustled through the oak trees. About 15 minutes passed when he felt his consciousness slip into another realm, he could feel himself becoming one with the world around him. A monarch butterfly landed on his hand, late getting to Mexico on his migration south. Hagi smiled as he realized he had done it! He finally succeeded at what he had been working on for 10 years.

The new skill opened a flood gate. He concentrated and saw Saya. She was speaking with Mao at the mall as Okamura carried the bags of things the two had purchased. Hagi gave a sly smile as he called to her, causing his queen to emit a small shiver as her cheeks became pink. She sent a thought of love to him. In this new state of awareness, he could smell her scent and even feel her joy mixed with longing- she missed him. "I miss you," he called to her in his mind. She leaned her head to the side and gave a small smile.

Mao looked at Saya strangely. "What are you thinking about, Saya?" she asked as Saya snapped back to reality.

"Oh, I- uh… I need to- get something for- Hagi," she stammered.

Mao sputtered a laugh. She tried to regain her composure as she commented, "Otonashi, I thought he was the one that followed you around, so why are you the one acting like a lovesick puppy?"

Saya smiled and shook her head as Okamura came to her rescue. He reminded, "Oh you mean like the way you followed Kai all the way around Europe?"

Mao whacked him with her purse and retorted, "I was 17 then. Would you like me to remind you of your past mistakes?"

Okamura cleared his throat as Saya giggled.

Hagi suddenly was aware of the location of chiropterans. He could see them, two of them, they were conversing with each other near the ranch. He was 60 miles away! He recognized the brown haired one as the young knight he briefly met 10 years ago, but the other had very long platinum hair. The two knights were talking about what they had seen at the ranch. Hagi wondered how far away he could see.

"What are you up to?" Claudia startled him out of his concentration. She felt the air around him seemed to change suddenly.

He smiled to himself and then looked up to her. She was standing in her tan suede jacket and boots, paired with her jeans and bright red scarf. The chill had left the air, but it was still a bit cold to her.

Hagi was in his black slacks, shirt, and jacket. He was even wearing the boots she had given him, but he left his hair untied. Saya told him that she loved how it felt in her fingers, so he wore it loose more often.

He made room for her on the bench and then asked, "What were you doing in there so long?"

She gave him a look and then tore a piece of the bread he had next to him and threw it too the ducks. "Don't go getting nosey on me, Big Brother," she grumbled as she glared at him.

Deciding to continue in his interrogation, he asked, "Does this mean this sudden visit has nothing to do with Doctor Ross?" He smiled inwardly, knowing that he had just hit the exact point of this and every other visit.

Her face flushed crimson as she cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. Once she forced down the color in her cheeks, she acted casual and responded, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

He smirked as he threw another piece of stale bread and watched the ducks race to where it landed. "When do you plan to formally introduce him to the family?"

She threw a piece of bread at him and retorted, "When do you plan to propose to Saya?"

He looked down at the ducks and responded, "I am waiting for the right moment."

She gasped, causing his eyes to turn to her. "I had no idea you were ready to ask her. You seemed to be stalling or something, but… Oh, I'm so happy!" She nearly knocked him over as she embraced him.

He chuckled. Only Claudia could be this enthusiastic about something, but he loved the way his sister seemed to radiate with a light that warmed even the coldest, darkest places within him. She seemed to have that effect on people. He had missed that light when she lost Serenity and there were still times that she seemed to slip into that dark place, but her light had finally returned.

"So, Big Brother, what were you doing out here? I know the ducks aren't getting fed a whole lot since you still have a bit of bread left."

He lowered his voice and answered, "Learning a new skill."

She whispered a question, "Have you mastered it yet?"

"No," he admitted, "but I do believe I have actually discovered how it is done."

"I thought so," she responded. "The air around you seemed different. I could feel an electric vibration that almost caused a complete stillness."

He hoped no one else had discovered that he had learned the new skill. Now that he had, it was time to perfect it.

He and Claudia browsed shops and purchased gifts before they headed to the mall to pick look through the shops. It was nearing 6pm and Claudia suggested they head to the food court and asked Hagi, "What would you like to eat?"

He responded, "Very funny, Sister."

She giggled as he led her to where he sensed a familiar presence.

Saya's stomach voiced its hunger as she searched through the rack of pink gowns. They had a simple lace bodice with lace long sleeves and a chiffon skirt that flared and ended at the ankles. Mao winked at her as she motioned for her to get the dress.

Mao asked, "Is it something he would like?"

Saya nodded as she gave a sweet smile. She responded, "His eyes light up when he sees me wearing flowing gowns. I think it reminds him of the days at the Zoo."

"But you had to wear those fluffy huge dresses," Mao groaned.

"And corsets, and chemise, and petticoats, and bustles …" Saya added as she rolled her eyes. "Women had to wear more under our clothes than over it." She regarded the dress in her hands and smiled, "I love that we have so much more freedom now."

"I'm sure he does, too," Mao joked, earning her a dirty look. She laughed, "Oh, come on, Saya! I know he's a gentleman, but he has to think that way- he _is_ a man, after all."

Saya blushed at the thought, or maybe it was because her stomach decided to voice its own opinion.

Mao laughed, "Come on, let's buy this and get you something to eat."

As usual, Okamura carried the bags as he, Mao and Saya headed to the food court. As Saya finished her order and Mao and Okamura found the only empty table was the large one that seated 6 near the back of the food court. They arranged things and went to pick up their food with Saya.

Hagi waited as Claudia picked out a salad and drink and then Hagi led her to the back of the food court. He turned to come up behind three familiar people and picked up two of the trays from a familiar, petite, raven haired girl.

Saya turned to see the man who had taken her trays and was overjoyed to see the tall ebony haired man. She smiled as she simply responded, "Thank you, Hagi."

They returned to the table as Claudia gave her brother a knowing look as she shook her finger, "You knew they were here, that's why you wanted to come to the mall."

He gave her a small smile as he placed the trays in front of where Saya was going to sit and joined her on her left side, Claudia sat to his left. Mao was across from her and Okamura next to Mao, opposite of Hagi. The group began to eat as Hagi kept usual public expression.

Hagi felt Saya's warm hand grasp his under the table as she continued to eat.

"So, did you two plan this?" Okamura asked as he motioned to Hagi and Saya with his fork.

"Are you kidding?" Mao asked. "Of course they did! They can't stay away from each other."

Claudia chuckled as she covered her mouth. She responded, "No, I think this one was all my brother's idea. He practically dragged me here." She looked at him and mouthed the words- Lovesick puppy!

He whispered in her ear, "I'm not the only one, Sister."

She cleared her throat as color rose in her cheeks. Claudia was not about to give her brother the satisfaction of being right, not yet at least. She has begun to talk to the young doctor after one of her group therapy sessions. He was kind and attentive, but there seemed to be a connection between them that made her forget her pain, if only for a moment. Now that she had returned to her family, she was doing much better, but she was still drawn to him.

Work had been drawing her to it as well, she had stacks of sketches that she had come up with and had recently been hard at work with her sewing machine. She made a dress for her mother for her 61st birthday and she had made a lavender dress for Lulu and sent it to her. She'd never forget the phone call that came from Okinawa the following week. Lulu was practically screaming into the phone she was so excited. Claudia gave a small smile in response to the Shiff girl's excitement and commented, "Now you have something to wear to their wedding, if my brother ever gets the nerve to propose."

Lulu surprised her by responding, "He'll be ready soon. Hagi's not the kind of guy that rushes into things unless it's something that is threatening Saya."

Claudia noticed the magnetic gaze between the chevalier and his queen. She grinned, it was obvious the two should be alone together. She knew her brother was planning to do something tonight. She had suggested the two go to the movies and sit way in the back. Saya asked her why they needed to sit in the back row. Her innocence sometimes astounded Claudia, but the glare that came from Hagi proved to her that he knew what she was referring to.

As Claudia and Okamura took some trash to the large metal cans, she commented, "Hey, Okamura, I think there may need to be a ride rearrangement."

His look turned to the couple. Saya was trying to give Hagi a bite of her hamburger. Okamura smiled and observed, "It looks like you're riding with us." He was quiet a moment before he added, "So when do you think he's gonna ask her to marry him?"

Claudia gave a small smile to accent her far away gaze. She answered, "Soon. He's so happy now and I think he is simply enjoying this, not wanting to rush. I think he realizes that they are ready for this."

Okamura commented, "You know what is really awesome about the whole thing?"

"Hmm?" Claudia hummed the question as her gaze stayed locked on the couple. Hagi was now smiling at Saya while chewing something else she had offered him, their hands still embraced under the table.

"They have been a team throughout the past century, working together, killing chiropterans, fighting a war… but they never allowed themselves the thought that maybe they were in love with each other."

Claudia sighed, "He did, but he knew that if he shared those feelings with Saya, it would distract her from their mission and possibly get her or both of them killed and Diva would have won."

Okamura looked down, "I feel so bad for him, holding back all this time."

"Don't," Claudia responded, "He's happy now. He has all that he ever wanted right now. Soon he will be asking her to become his wife and from the look in her eyes, I know she's going to say yes."

Mao came up and asked, "So what are you two gossiping about over here?"

"The two lovebirds and whether he's gonna propose soon," Okamura summarized.

Mao looked at them, "I hope it's soon. She told me that she really wants him to."

Claudia smiled as she asked, "Y'all ready to go back to the ranch?"

Mao grinned ready to spring the surprise on the two lovebirds.

"We're about to head out," Claudia informed as Hagi furrowed his brow for a slight second and Saya began to gather her things. Claudia stilled her actions and responded, "We'll get everything, you both get to ride back together. I'm going with them." She smiled and winked when she added, "Don't come home too early."

The pair walked hand in hand to the small shop near the theater. Saya ordered a chocolate caramel sundae while Hagi opted to take small tastes from her, but didn't really care for the cold and overly sweet confection. They waited for the time to reach 8pm and the movie would start.

She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin and then asked, "Hagi, what did you get me?

"Saya," he scolded, "you know I cannot tell you until Christmas."

She giggled and then added, "Do you remember the promise we made?"

He felt dread rising within him as he tried to swallow the huge lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

She noticed the anxiety and fear in his eyes. For a moment, she wondered what had caused it, but quickly realized what that must have sounded like to him. She grabbed his hand and soothed him by saying, "No, no, not _that_ promise. I mean the one at Christmas when we lived at the Zoo."

Her eyes went to the floor as she observed, "I was so cruel to you to make you ever promise such a thing. I should never have asked you to kill me." Her eyes met with his as she noticed his gaze had softened. "I wish you would've told me that you loved me."

He squeezed her hand as he leaned forward and spoke, "It is all past us now, Saya. The promise, the war, and Diva are finally over. We now have the freedom to do as we choose to. We should not spend our time thinking about what we could have done differently."

"You're right," she agreed as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She smiled and noted, "We're together now."

"Yes, we are," he responded with a small smile of his own. He then thought back to the Christmas day she referred to. He could still see her tearing through the gifts before anyone woke up, but more than that, he remembered walking through the garden later that evening.

"_Hagi," she asked, "are there any girls you want to marry?"_

_He was taken aback by such a bold question. He took a breath before responding, "I am only 19, Saya. I am young and I have yet to develop a career or secure any substantial funds."_

_She rolled her eyes and commented, "Hagi, there is more to it than money. I want to know if you have your heart set on anyone."_

_His cheeks felt hot as color filled them. He stammered an answer, "I- uh, I… no, I haven't."_

_She sighed and commented, "I know that I am older than you, but no man has ever come to call on me or asked to court me. I don't wish to end up alone."_

_He wondered where this was going as he clasped his hands behind his back. Her next comment sent his mind reeling._

"_Hagi, if you do not find a suitable wife by the time you reach 25, will you promise to marry me?"_

He gave her a small smile and responded, "Yes, Saya, I remember that promise."

**Okay! Okay! I know it was short, but it was really sweet, right? Just wanting to give you guys something during the weekend. I adore your comments and reviews, they really make my day!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Whew! This one's LOOOONG! To all my loyal readers out there- You guys are awesome! I love all the PMs I'm getting and the awesome reviews as well. Thank you to BettyeK for all the fun I have reading the reviews you send out, and zealith- I know you're still reading this and I am working toward one of those scenes for you (for right now I'm letting Hagi take his time). I have put song lyrics in again and as you all should know by now, I don't own them. They are from the song "Yours to Hold" by Skillet**

**Special shout out to TykkiMikk- this was your idea so please enjoy the store scene!**

Saya read through the letter again. He was right- it offered no real answers, only some fairytale that sounded remarkably like the one the twins dramatized. What did catch her interest was that it was written by a queen like herself. Hagi had explained what he knew of the situation and how he had met Queen Aksaya's chevalier, who called himself the First Knight. She sighed as she placed the letter on the bed and thought, _I guess our best option is to find Nathan Mahler and find out all we can._ She grabbed her robe and headed for the shower.

The weather had been mild for the time of year. Saya walked outside after breakfast wearing a grey t-shirt with a large hot pink heart on the front and a pair of jeans she had purchased. It was more comfortable wearing jeans at the ranch. Climbing into the Jeep and riding behind Hagi on Fury were troublesome when wearing a skirt.

It wasn't difficult to find him. She just followed the sound of the music that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Today the music was coming from the barn. The music was not from his person, but the cello as it sang out beautifully under his careful and skilled hands. She leaned against the doorway and listened to him playing a song she did not recognize. His eyes were shut as his hands moved along the neck and guided the bow. She remembered all the times she watched him during the war, his expression was the same now as it was then. He was letting himself get lost in the music and pouring all his emotions into the song.

His eyes opened and met hers as he greeted, "Good morning, Saya." Continuing to play, his eyes slid closed again and a small smile turned the corners of his mouth. He could feel her standing next to him now as he had ended the song and began to play the one she'd taught him. His hands moved flawlessly, coaxing the familiar song from the belly of the beautiful old cello. When he was playing, the world around him melted away and he could forget everything.

Saya smiled and waited for him to finish. She wanted to ask him to take her to the local store to pick up a few things she needed. She noticed the red mug sitting at his feet and smiled to herself wondering if it had gotten cold while sitting there. The last note vibrated through the barn as her eyes met his and she informed, "I read the letter again." He looked at her and waited. She finished with a deep breath and her head down, "I can't understand why she chose to tell us about this legend rather than inform us about who they are and what they want." Hagi opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted, "I know they told you by sending Nathan and then the First Knight, but I still don't understand why she wrote about- that."

It was the same thing that bothered Hagi. Of all the things that she could have said, why this? It must be very important to them. He knew that they did not mind if he and Saya married, at least that's what they said. What was strange was how they seemed to hold so fast to the idea of fortune telling chiropteran queens that made up a story about a queen being held prisoner and a black knight coming to her rescue. When he was young, he saw how some of the women from the caravan made money by "telling fortunes", but he knew it was a way to separate a fool from his or her money.

Saya broke him from his thoughts as she stated, "I suppose we'll have to talk to Nathan, once the holidays are over. Thanksgiving was next week. Saya had explained it to Kai over the phone after Marva had explained it to her.

Kai laughed, "Now that's the perfect kind of holiday for you! A holiday that celebrates stuffing your face!"

She shook off the mean spirited comment and asked, "Hagi, could you take me to the store? I have to get some stuff."

"Out of bubble bath again?" he asked as she tried to hide the color that went to her cheeks. He gave a small chuckle as he put the cello back in its case.

She noticed the compartment where her sword rested and wondered if she could talk him into practicing with her like they did during the war. She wasn't certain about that letter or the intentions of those that were watching them. Hagi had informed her that he could sense them while he perfected the new skill he'd taught himself. Saya was still trying to get the hang of concentrating on being one with the world around her.

They walked through the small general store that seemed to buzz with excited whispers every time Hagi came into it. At first Saya wondered about the gossip, but it was when she overheard the whispers of two women nearing 30 years of age that she understood- they were whispering about "the smoking hot Trudeaux boy". Saya could feel their eyes following him and her with curiosity. A smug smile came to her lips as she grabbed Hagi's hand. She placed items in the basket as a gawking group of girls rounded the corner. Saya made certain they saw as she rose onto her toes and kissed him right on the lips, bringing a blush to his face.

Her sudden kiss was unexpected. He whispered, "Saya, I really do not think that was appropriate." Her sudden action had caused his mind to focus on her and the whispers and glares coming from all the local cowgirls.

"Hagi," she whispered, "I just wanted to kiss you." Her voice was sweet and innocent, but there was a fire in her eyes Hagi had never seen before.

His gaze followed hers and he noticed the girls that tried to turn the corner to stay out of sight. He looked back at Saya, trying to conceal his disbelief. _Is what I am seeing jealousy? _"Saya," he whispered as he kissed her hand and finished, "you are the _only_ woman I have ever loved. There is no reason to be jealous."

Now color came to her cheeks. He had guessed what she was feeling. Why would she think even one of them could turn his head? She then realized what she had just been bold enough to do- and in front of other people. Her face flushed as she looked down and had to wonder at herself, how on earth could she allow this silly emotion to make he do such a bold thing? She didn't notice she had stopped moving.

"Saya, what is it?" Hagi asked as he stood next to the red faced girl.

She shook it off and responded, "Nothing." Grabbing another item off the shelf, she followed him to the front of the store where she overheard a collective gasp come from two of the cashiers. They were whispering about the apparent age difference and one of them commented that she always wondered why he never called her. Saya grabbed his arm and led him to the only stand in the store with a male cashier, hoping to keep her newly found emotional issue in check. She pulled out the credit card that Joel VI had given her. He explained that it was purchased with the inheritance money that her guardian, Joel I, had left her. After the items were bagged the cashier commented, "I know those girls have been chasing after you a long time," he smiled at Hagi before he continued, "but I'm glad to see you've found someone. Maybe now all the gossip will stop."

Hagi held his same expression, but Saya could tell by the subtle changes in his eyes that he was trying to keep from blushing. She couldn't help but laugh at the situation and thanked him shyly as she grabbed Hagi's arm and headed for the door.

The afternoon found Saya working in the kitchen with Marva as Hagi, Angie and her friends set up in the barn. Marva explained that they started playing together a year before he left to wake her in Okinawa. The group had been covering for a few bands and even played a few shows in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. One of the band members was working on trying to get a gig in Austin. "They're hoping to talk Hagi into coming too."

Saya looked at the silver haired woman and asked, "When would they be going?"

"Oh, I'm certain it won't be until April. They don't want to take him away from you right now," Marva informed.

Saya smiled shyly and responded, "I don't mind if he has to go somewhere, I know he'll come back."

Marva smiled and commented, "Of course he will, but I think you're forgetting about how much you two would miss each other." Her hazel eyes caught Saya's flushed reaction as she gave a small laugh.

"Maybe I would miss him a little," Saya admitted with a sneaky smile.

Marva's eyes sparkled as an idea popped into her head, "Saya, they're about to finish setting up. I'm gonna make some snacks for them. Why don't you help me bring them in, maybe listen to them play for a while?"

Saya smiled as she nodded in agreement.

The band was playing through a rock song as Hagi waited for them to play something he'd be more accustomed to when Saya, Marva, and Claudia came in carrying trays of sandwiches, chips with dip, brownies, pecan and pumpkin pies, and Claudia wheeled in a cooler of sodas and bottled water. They figured the hired hands may come by for a snack as well. Marva announced, "We thought you guys might be hungry after working so hard setting up."

They spoke their gratitude over each other as they scrambled to the table. Angie smiled as she grabbed a sandwich, "Ms. Trudeaux, I really appreciate all the hospitality you've shown us over the years. You let us use your barn and then you feed us, too!"

Marva laughed as she noticed Saya bring a can of soda to Hagi who refused to try any. She motioned to him and stated, "I really appreciate you and your band, you've helped bring out his creative side. I tried for years and years and all I got was technical, calculated music." She and Angie laughed at his reaction when Saya finally got him to take a sip of the carbonated drink. Marva added, "He doesn't seem to care for anything with a lot of sugar."

"Except that jelly you make, Mom," Claudia commented as she came up to them. She smiled as she watched Saya apologizing for the soda and her brother's responding look. "It doesn't matter what she does to him, he still looks at her like a little lost puppy."

"He's in love with her," Angie observed.

One of the band members added, "Yeah, he sure has been whipped."

Angie responded with a glare and a fake kick to the seat of his pants which he laughed off. "Hey," she scolded, "you shouldn't pick on him just 'cause you're jealous."

Claudia and Marva laughed and then Claudia added, "You know, most of the town is going to be so upset when they see those two together? All those girls practically fainted when Hagi came walking up anywhere in town."

"They went into town this morning," Marva informed and then added, "I wonder how it went."

They had their fill and began to play a few sets. Saya sat with Marva and Claudia near the folding table with the remaining snacks. Once in a while a hired hand would pop in and grab a snack.

"Hey, Hagi," Angie asked, "would you like to do a run through 'Yours to Hold'?"

They had played through it many times before Saya had awakened, but this would be the first time she'd hear it. He nodded as he looked down at the cello, disguising the bit of nervousness he felt, knowing that the song he had poured his heart into was about to be revealed to Saya. His steel blue eyes moved to where she was sitting as Claudia leaned over and whispered something to her.

The first chords were played by guitar as the first verse came- his cue was in the second verse. He closed his eyes and listened to the song that had come from his very heart and soul. He spoke the words softly as they were sung.

"He wrote this song for you," Claudia whispered to Saya. Saya nodded in return. She heard the words as her chevalier closed his eyes and began to sing along quietly. She knew every line, every word by heart. She began to mouth the words as well as a tear left her eye. Her eyes closed as the refrain came and she continued on with the song.

Marva was shocked that she saw Saya, eyes closed and a glittery tear drying on her cheek as her lips followed along with every word. She nudged Claudia and they both shared a surprised response. How did she know the song?

The second verse came and Hagi began to play the beautiful somber notes along with the singer and continued to quietly sing along. The temptation to open his eyes to see her response was overwhelming. His eyes opened, just a crack, to see her swaying. He barely could see, but he thought he could see her speaking. His eyes opened fully to see her eyes were closed and a complete surprise, she knew the words! She followed along to the refrain and Hagi tried to figure out how this was possible. He didn't dare miss a note- the song had brought his queen under some kind of musical spell and he wasn't about to break it.

_I'm stretching but you're just out of reach. (You should know)_

_I'm ready when you're ready for me_

_And I'm waiting for the right time, for the day I catch your eye._

_To let you know that I'm yours to hold._

He became spellbound as soon as her burgundy orbs opened and they caught each others gaze. The music came to a crescendo as the last refrain began. She continued to mouth the words, but Hagi was completely speechless. How did she even know the words? He never told her.

_Every single day_

_I find it hard to say_

_I could be yours alone (Yours alone)_

_You will see someday, that all along the way_

_I was yours to hold_

_I'm stretching but you're just out of reach_

_I'm ready when you're ready for me_

He finished the last note as she came to him and asked, "Could I talk to you a minute?"

He nodded as he placed the cello against the chair and followed her outside the barn. Marva and Claudia smiled at each other knowingly as the band wondered what just happened. Angie asked, "What's going on?"

Claudia responded in a hushed tone, "I think he's gonna finally do it! He's gonna ask her."

Angie got excited as she giggled and the men in the band remained clueless. She turned and rolled her eyes as she translated in for them, "He's going to ask her to marry him."

Outside the barn he still remained speechless. She looked at the ground and commented, "When I thought you had died, Kai and Lulu insisted that I keep on hoping you would return. I was so sad. I never told you how I felt. I was still shocked when Joel informed me that you were purchased to…" she trailed off as she thought how horrible it sounded. "I don't want you to think that I am out of your reach, Hagi." She looked at her feet, uncertain what she should say. Her thoughts were blurred as they stacked on top of each other- so many things to say.

He knew she could hear his heart pounding in his chest as he asked her, "How did you know the words to the song?"

"When we came back to Okinawa, I was having a hard time adjusting to being without you. I decided to play the cello, hoping that it would ease my pain, but when I put the cello away, I found a folded paper. Kai read it to me until the day I went into my long sleep- I didn't remember until we got to Houston, but I memorized it," she explained as her eyes stayed on her tan boots.

He listened to her explanation and remembered that he had the original draft that night he finished the letter to Marva. He intended to dispose of it, but was worried she may find it, so he hid it in the cello case to throw out later, but that tiny detail had slipped his mind. He didn't notice that she had stopped speaking and was looking into his face, trying to catch his eyes with hers.

"Hagi," she spoke, drawing his attention to her, "I'm sorry that I put you through all this. I want to make it up to you."

He responded, "There is no need to…"

"There is," she insisted as she touched his cheek. "I have let you carry this burden around for so long and never even noticed you- it's what you said in the song you wrote." She felt him press a kiss into the palm of her hand as he placed his hand over hers.

"This is enough for me, Saya," he whispered.

She held him close and insisted, "No, you deserve so much more. I love you and I want to give you so much. I want to spend all of eternity with you."

The ring! It was still in the cello case in the barn. He held his even expression as inside he was scolding himself for not thinking ahead. He gave her a small smile and responded, "As do I, Saya."

They kissed as she wondered why he didn't ask her at that moment. Her hand caressed the back of his neck, feeling the soft locks of ebony hair brushing over the back of her hand. Was this truly all he wanted from her?

She headed back to the house with the empty trays in silence. Claudia asked her what had happened and clearly became concerned when she asked Hagi how everything went outside and he just turned to put his cello away. He would have at least smiled to her or said something like, "Everything is fine, Claudia." She shared her concern with her mom and they decided that Claudia would talk to Saya and Marva would talk to Hagi as they washed the dishes and put them away so Anna would have a clean kitchen ready to prepare dinner.

Marva waited on the porch for Hagi to come up the steps. He had on his black suit, looking much like the man she met in Paris nearly 45 years ago. He carried the cello case with his hand holding the strap and his hair was pulled back again. "It's like looking into the past," she muttered. He raised an eyebrow and she waved off the comment. She motioned for him to join her. He placed the cello case against the porch railing as he sat on the step next to Marva. She nudged him and asked, "Why so glum? Did Saya say something to you?"

"She said she wanted to spend eternity with me," he responded while he looked at his hands.

She furrowed her brows and asked, "Is that such a bad thing? If you're in love with her, it's what you should want."

He turned his gaze to the horizon and responded, "It is."

"So?" she asked. "What happened?"

"I am…" he trailed off as his gaze moved to his hands again. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out exactly what the problem was.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you're nervous," she gave a small laugh. His blue eyes turned to meet hers and she could see the problem. "You really are nervous. She practically asked you herself and you still think she's going to tell you no."

"I did not have the ring with me. I wanted to ask her, but I…" he trailed off again.

She nodded and then suggested, "Take her out for a romantic evening. At the end of the night, pull out the ring and propose."

"The moment has to be right," he responded.

"Hagi," Marva scolded, "life has very few perfect moments, but you take what you can get and work with it." She caught his gaze and added, "This is your moment- make it your moment, son."

He smiled his gratitude to her and responded, "You amaze me with all your wisdom, Mom." He kissed her forehead and rose to go inside. He had a date to plan.

"I do what I can," she whispered as a joyful smile played on her lips.

Claudia knocked on the door to Saya's room that was really her brother's room. She heard Saya groan a, "Come in, Claudia." She furrowed her brows as she came in and found Saya with her face buried in a pillow.

"How did you know it was me?" Claudia asked.

Saya turned her head and responded, "The way you knock. It's soft, but sharp. Hagi is always quiet, you can barely hear it, and Marva's is commanding."

"I'm glad you know us all so well," Claudia grinned. She then asked, "What happened back there? I thought you and Hagi were gonna disappear and go celebrate on your own."

She groaned and turned her face back into the pillow.

Claudia sat next to Saya and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That bad, huh?"

Saya thought, _Here she is, the one person other than me that really knows him. _She rose up and came to sit next to Claudia. She breathed and quickly spouted out, "I told him I wanted to spend eternity with him and he just responded 'As do I' and kissed me. But he didn't ask me to marry him." She sighed as she looked out of the corner of her eye to see that Claudia understood.

Claudia gave a confused look and responded, "He told me he-" she cut off her own thought as she remembered he'd left the cello case in the barn as they went outside. The ring was in the cello case. _Ooohh, so that's what happened. _Claudia smiled and responded, "Saya, I wouldn't be too worried if I were you. He's just having an off day."

Saya's brows furrowed, she had never known her chevalier to have an off day. He was always elegant, graceful, and in control of himself. Thinking of him having an off day seemed rather strange. She left that alone as another thought was pressing on her even more. "Claudia," she began shyly, "How do I know that Hagi wants to- go any further… you know… than where- Oh, God." Her hands covered her flushed cheeks and she groaned with embarrassment.

Claudia laughed out as she covered her mouth. She breathed and regained her composure before she responded, "Yes he thinks of you that way!"

"How do you know?" she asked.

Claudia gave her a look and responded, "Are you serious? You have a brother, I'm sure you've caught him before."

Saya didn't even want to think of that. Claudia had misunderstood. _Hagi's right, she really does have her mind in the gutter._ "I meant marriage," the red faced Saya corrected.

Now Claudia turned red as she burst into laughter and apologized profusely, "I really botched that one, didn't I?" She laughed out and soon Saya joined in her laughter at the embarrassing misunderstanding. Claudia finally could breathe again and she elaborated, "I thought the way you were fumbling with words that… you meant…"

Saya denied adamantly, "No, no." Then curiosity got to her, "Well, maybe- you caught him… doing- that?"

"Not exactly, I just knew he was having," she coughed before finishing, "issues."

Saya turned beet red as she thought of- or rather tried not to think of what Claudia saw.

Claudia smiled as she tried to reassure Saya, "It was a look he had in his eyes. I'll let you know the next time I see it."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Ever have a date where nothing goes right? It'll be alright, though. Please enjoy and review. I do not own the song lyrics here either. Just so you know- I own nothing but a pair of cars (one doesn't run and one with expired tags)! **

Saya dressed in a denim skirt with white lace trim and a red button up blouse that matched the highlights in her eyes. He told her that he didn't want her to get too dressed up as they were going to be having an outdoor picnic under the stars and then to a nearby dance hall afterward. She enjoyed dancing with him. It was like she was traveling back to another time and place. Back when she wore petticoats and corsets and he wore pretty much the same thing he liked to wear now she smiled as she thought, _His style never changes. He still wears coats with tails and button down shirts. At least he doesn't button them all the way up and tie anything around his neck anymore._ Her face flushed at the thought of seeing that shirt open and running her hands along his strong, pale chest. She shook off the thought, she'd been having these little thoughts pop up on her all day. "Thank you, Claudia," she growled under her breath as she placed the diamond studs into her ears.

She reached for the perfume, but then thought of how much Hagi seemed to shy away from even the little amount she used. Placing the perfume back down, she checked her reflection. Lip gloss was the only makeup she used. She found that her eyes itched when she used eye makeup and her face sweat when she wore anything else. Lip balm and gloss soothed chapped lips, though.

Hagi's soft knock came as soon as she slipped on her other shoe. She opened the door to see a very different looking Hagi- causing her to giggle. He had one of his white button down shirts tucked into a pair of black jeans and a tie?!

"What is so funny?" he asked.

"You… in a TIE!" she responded and removed the knot from the tie and pulled it from his neck in a swift motion. She startled at the sound it made as it snapped back like a whip. She grinned to cover up her surprise and responded, "Why did you decide to wear that?"

He responded, "I wanted tonight to be special."

"Mmm," she hummed as she concentrated on opening the top two buttons of his shirt. "Then why not wear your suit?"

He smiled and did not respond as he enjoyed her hands carefully undoing the buttons. She suddenly pressed her lips to his, her arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled her closer. They pulled apart after a moment. His eyes were on hers, the look was one he seemed to be giving her every once in a while now. She wasn't sure what it conveyed, but it made her tremble and her mind shut down. She shook her head trying to banish the thoughts she was having. His gaze was still there, she swallowed against the lump she suddenly felt in her throat and she said, "Hagi, I meant what I said earlier today. I want to spend my eternal life with you."

He smiled his response, not wanting to ruin the surprise. "Shall we go to our picnic under the stars?" he asked.

She smiled at the romantic idea as she took his arm and they came into the living room.

The basket waited on the table in the dining room as he searched for his keys. He was certain he left them on the table next to the picnic basket. He went back to his room as Saya shook her head- it was the first time she had seen him look so irritated.

Marva noted as she looked up from the book she was reading, "Claudia's right, he's having an off day. Oh well, happens to the best of us."

Saya sat next to her on the arm rest and asked, "Have you seen him have one before?"

Marva thought for a moment before responding, "No, but I guess that means he's long overdue for one." She continued to read as Saya looked at a few lines, trying to remember how to read English.

After a few minutes, Hagi came back into the living room following Claudia. She fussed, "Here, Big Brother, where you left them by the kitchen sink." She grabbed the keys from the countertop and handed them to him.

He blinked. Being this careless was something he thought he had overcome when he was a child. He held back the urge to sigh in frustration. He mumbled his thanks and thought, _May as well cheer up, at least I have the keys and we can be on our way._

Marva placed her book on her lap as Saya came to her feet and straightened her skirt.

"We will be back before…" Hagi began.

Marva's hand went up and she stated, "I don't want you to put any deadlines up tonight. I want you to enjoy yourselves." She then winked at Hagi and added, "Remember to make the moment your own, no matter what."

He nodded and smiled. He couldn't hide the nervousness that shined in his eyes from her. She embraced him as he whispered, "Thank you, Mom."

Saya was embraced, too. She didn't really understand what Marva meant, but she truly loved the feeling she had when she was around his family. It reminded her of her times with her dad and brothers- real, unconditional love. They were a family that loved and cared for each other.

They settled into the car and drove off to the south pasture where the big pond was glistening even in the darkness of night.

He had to leave the headlights on while they spread the blanket. The stars and moon were hidden by thick clouds. The cold front was moving through early. Saya left the radio on so they would have some music to listen to. She tried the rice and chicken he'd made as he poured a bottle of wine he had taken from the winery into glasses for him and her. She enjoyed the salad and the fried chicken with rice as they spoke on times at the Zoo and happier moments during the war. She giggled as she told him stories about her life with her family. She informed him that the chocolate and strawberry desert was her favorite part of the night so far.

At first, he was feeling a bit frustrated at the thought that nothing seemed to be going right tonight, but Marva told him to make the most of it. He smiled at Saya, who was enjoying all that he had made for her as he sat casually on the blanket across from her. Her expression and the sparkle in her eye reminded him of their carefree days at the Zoo as they talked about old times. They remembered picnics, exploring the grounds, going swimming, and creating concerts to play for Joel and occasionally Amshel.

She had finished eating and he began to pack up everything when her small hand halted him. The song on the radio was "Stars Over Texas" by Tracy Lawrence- a waltz. She smiled and asked, "Would you dance with me, Hagi?"

He smiled at her enthusiasm and mentioned, "We will be at the dance hall soon, Saya. We could wait until then to dance. The ground is uneven here- I would not want you to be injured."

She gave off a small pout. It was the Saya he knew from the Zoo all over again. He knew she wouldn't give in until he danced with her. He offered his hand with a slight bow. She giggled as she took his hand and he pulled her into his arms. He guided her elegantly over the uneven ground as the song played.

_As long as the tides ebb_

_The Earth turns the sun sets_

_I promise, I'll always be true_

_As long as there's stars over Texas_

_Darling, I'll hang the moon for you._

The song became two and then three. They danced as they gazed into each other's eyes. He loved looking into her beautiful eyes that seemed to glisten in even the darkest room. The music stopped as a DJ relayed a weather report about a fast moving cold front that was arriving earlier than expected. The pair stopped moving, lost I each other's eyes. Their lips pressed together as his hand reached to his pocket to finger the familiar small box.

Suddenly, the pair was drenched in a downpour. He looked up and sighed before he guided her to the car and gathered everything from their picnic hurriedly.

Saya laughed as the rain drenched her. It was just like old times, they would sneak away from their lessons at the Zoo and, wouldn't you know, get caught in a downpour. She noticed he was not sharing in her laughter and sensed the frustration, wondering why he was trying so hard to make everything so perfect. He led her to the car and she watched as he became completely soaked while gathering the sopping remnants of their picnic. He returned to the driver's seat after placing the basket in the back seat. She placed a hand on his drenched shoulder, his white shirt now almost transparent as it stuck to his body. The rain poured outside as the pair sat in silence.

When he got into the car, he leaned back and gave a loud sigh as he resisted the urge to curse and slam his fist into something. Why was this happening to him? And of all days! He decided they needed to get back to the house to change and dry off so turned the key- click- click- click. The engine didn't turn. He tried again, but still nothing. He ran a hand through his soaked hair as he realized they had drained the battery. He turned the key off and stared at the steering wheel. This was so unfair.

"Is something wrong, Hagi?" she asked. Hoping she could somehow soothe his frustration and maybe help the situation somehow.

He groaned and felt a bit sorry for himself, but decided, _This day may be trying my patience, but I will make the most of it. _ He turned to Saya and answered, "The battery is dead and we may have to walk back to the house. It would be best to wait until the rain lets up."

"We have walked in the rain before," she recalled, her burgundy eyes shining in the dimness of the car.

He moved an errant, damp lock of hair from her eyes. He responded, "I would not wish you to walk in the rain now. The war is over."

"We are free, Hagi," she informed. "We are free to do what we want to. We can dance in the rain, run in the snow, sing from a mountain top! I don't mind a small walk in the rain. I have you to keep me warm."

"You are special to me," he explained as his hand caressed her cheek. His free hand found the box in his pocket as he continued, "I want to protect you from harm, keep you safe from all your fears, and to hold you for eternity." He presented the small box to her. She couldn't see the ring he had worked so hard to purchase many decades ago and then exchange it for the one he gave her now. He wanted to give it to her when he was 25 as promised, but the war began and plans were put aside. "Will you be my wife?"

He heard her gasp and take the small box from his hand, his breath stopped as he waited for her response. She pulled him into her arms and kissed him passionately. He pulled back and asked, "Does this mean yes?"

She laughed as tears fell from her eyes. She noticed he was still so modest. She practically proposed to him earlier today and he still couldn't believe she wanted to be his bride. She smiled at how sweet that was. Nodding in the darkness, she gave her answer, "Yes, Hagi." She heard him let out the breath he had been holding back. They embraced and pressed their lips together. Their kisses were slow as their tongues rubbed against each other.

Neither of them noticed the rain had let up. They were still embraced as Saya began to shiver. The cold front had moved through and the temperature was dropping. Hagi had remembered he left his winter coat in the trunk of the car.

He carried the picnic basket in one hand, while the other wrapped around Saya. She was feeling much warmer in the thick coat that went to her knees, grateful that he was so tall otherwise her legs would be freezing right now. They arrived on the porch as Hagi went for the keys. He patted his sides and tried to remember where he left them when Saya reached out and handed him the set of keys he'd accidentally slipped into the jacket pocket.

He shook his head as he opened the door. She mentioned, "You know, Hagi, when you have an off day, you really have an off day."

He smiled and then kissed her before responding, "At least I made the most of it."

"Nankurunaisa," she responded as she smiled and he smiled in return, letting her in first.

Marva was surprised to hear the two coming in so early. She put the book down and noticed he was drenched and the only dry thing on Saya was the coat she wore that was really his. Marva took the wet picnic basket and asked, "What happened? Never mind- both of you, get into a hot shower and some warm clothes, I'll make some cocoa for Saya and I'll make your tea Hagi." Saya hurried off to her room as Marva commanded Hagi to use her shower.

He went into the room that was now hers and gathered a pair of his old slacks and a long sleeved t-shirt that he wore in Okinawa along with a pair of socks. He thought as he looked around, _hopefully it will soon be _our_ room. That is, if she wants to live here. _He could hear Saya humming happily in the shower as he smiled on his way to Marva's room.

He took a bit longer in the shower than usual. The hot water felt good on his overly cooled and drenched skin. He dried off and dressed before he ran a comb through his dark hair and decided to leave it down to let it dry. Claudia walked in without a care, as only a sister would do, and grabbed something from the medicine cabinet. Hagi growled, "You should knock before you enter a restroom if you…"

"Oh, Big Brother," she interrupted before he could get the speech out, "sorry. I didn't know you were in here." She turned and began to leave and then asked, "Hey, why are you back so early anyway?"

He took in a breath and simply commanded, "Not another word."

"You really are having a bad day," she grumbled as she headed back to her room.

Saya hurried to dry herself and get dressed. She put on a pink sweater and cotton sleeping pants and picked up the ring she had placed on her finger an hour ago. It was dark in the car and on the way back to the ranch, so she had never gotten a look at it. Her eyes took in the beautiful pink stone that was surrounded by a small ring of white diamonds. "How could he afford such a ring?" she asked herself. She smiled as she sensed him coming into the hallway and hurried to meet him.

She closed the bedroom door and turned to meet him. She gave a huge smile and embraced him. She spoke into his shoulder, "Oh, I love it! How in the world could you afford to buy it?"

He spoke softly, "When I was 16, I realized I was in love with you. I told Joel that I wanted to become a gentleman and I began to do extra work around the Zoo in order to secure some funds and I became educated so that maybe one day I could ask you. When you asked me to promise you, that Christmas day, I began to search for the perfect ring. The original was a gold band, but recently, I decided this was better."

She smiled and threw her arms around his neck, her lips found his. Her hands moved down his chest and then back up and around his shoulders. He pulled back and smiled at her. His eyes were glistening with a fire that caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach and her body tingled with anticipation. She wondered why his gaze had such an effect on her. She had noticed that since they had decided to become more than queen and chevalier, that look was crossing his handsome features quite often, bringing sensations and thoughts to her mind that she couldn't understand.

Claudia passed by them on the way to her mother's room to return the item she borrowed earlier. She gave a knowing grin to Saya as she was now behind her brother. "There it is," she announced as her hand motions told Saya to look at his eyes before she continued to her mother's room.

Hagi turned to see his sister saunter into their mom's room. He wondered what that crazy comment was about. He turned to face Saya again, her eyes were focused on the floor.

Saya didn't get it at first, but then remembered the conversation from earlier today, _"It was a look he had in his eyes. I'll let you know the next time I see it." _She turned her head down as her face flushed with the understanding of what she was feeling- it was something he was feeling, too. Curiosity for what he was feeling at the moment overwhelmed her modesty, causing her to look up at him. The gaze had been replaced with one of concern. She couldn't tear her eyes from his. The memory of his longing gaze clouded her thoughts.

He saw the look in her eyes had changed and was uncertain what this was about, but his senses were tingling, bringing those thoughts to his mind again. He asked, "Saya, are you alright?" He shut his eyes, realizing he had ruined the moment.

Saya blinked and then she turned her gaze to the wall. She answered softly, "Yeah."

Claudia walked back through and mentioned, "I smell hot cocoa, whoever gets there first gets all the marshmallows!" She took off in a run and turned the corner to the living room, Saya hot on her tail, skidding on the polished hardwood floor in her socks. Hagi followed as he shook his head and smiled at the childish behavior of the two women.

Saya had clearly arrived first as Marva handed her the mug with the most marshmallows. Claudia looked at her, both with eyes shining and slightly pink cheeks from all the laughter they were sharing at some private joke. Marva handed Hagi his red mug with his favorite tea. He knew it would be just the way he liked it, Marva seemed to know so much about him. She almost seemed to know his thoughts sometimes. She knew how he liked his tea, what he was feeling, what he needed, and what he wanted all without one word from him. He remembered asking her once how she seemed to do this. She simply responded, "A mother knows."

He smiled as he overheard Claudia squeal with joy before grabbing a surprised Saya in a hug, spinning her around. She put the smaller woman down and then, she came to the stoic man and tackled him into the couch and digging her knuckles into his hair. She scolded, "It took you long enough, Big Brother!"

The action surprised Saya, but the reaction of her stoic chevalier was shocking to hear. He was laughing, really laughing as Claudia ravaged his ebony locks of hair. She hadn't heard him laugh since the day the Diva was released and the Zoo burned. His hands went in front of him and he shoved her off. Then he surprised her by grabbing her around the waist and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and warned her, laughter still evident in his voice, "I will put you to bed early, Sister, if you do not behave yourself."

She gave off a laugh as she tried to squirm and free herself. She giggled and finally agreed, "Alright, I'll behave! Just put me down!"

Marva was laughing as Saya finally joined in with the laughter. She wondered at the scene and commented, "It's been so long since I've heard him laugh."

"It's rare for us to hear, too, but it does happen. He has always felt safe, loved, and accepted here. We want you to feel that way too, Saya," she said as she smiled to the small, burgundy eyed woman. She added, "Congratulations, Saya. I hope you both spend your eternities making each other very happy. You both deserve it."

**By the way, I do so love it when you review so please click the box and drop a note here!**

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	9. Chapter 9

**A/N To Draya Kane- Well, here it is- the chapter you've been waiting for! The Christmas story, complete with a gingerbread house!**

**I'm having trouble writing the happy moments right now since it is coming up on 9/11- my best guy friend died in the attacks and 9/15 is a painful date for me as well. Please bear with me while I struggle through this week.**

Thanksgiving did indeed surprise Saya. The event was a food and fun filled day. They all ate to bursting and then the men gathered around the television as a cheering section for their favorite American football teams. Saya recalled seeing the games at one point, but had no idea what was going on, the rules were complicated and there were just too many people on each team. She decided to go for a walk with her fiancé after she noticed him standing in the corner and not really watching the game. His blue eyes were drawn to the window instead.

While they were outside, they decided to set the wedding date. She noticed that since they began walking, a small smile stayed on his lips. She commented, "You certainly seem happy today."

He hummed a response as he continued to keep the leisurely pace with her on the trail to the barn. Hagi remembered Claudia had gotten so excited that she already had 6 sketches of Saya's wedding gown that, of course, he was not allowed to see. He and Saya both agreed that they did not want a big wedding, just family and close friends. Saya kept shooting down Claudia's ideas on the gown, the flowers, but the colors were more easily decided. Saya didn't have any difficulty coming up with one of the colors for the theme- blush pink. She then looked at him and asked, "Hagi, what is your favorite color?"

He didn't get a chance to answer, Claudia laughed out, "Everyone here knows his favorite color is red."

December came along with colder weather. Most days, Saya spent in her room, thumbing through a book and waiting for Hagi to come and take her for a walk or a ride on Fury. She wasn't like other brides planning their wedding. The idea of being a princess for a day didn't appeal to her. There were no bridal magazines in her bedroom, no caterer lists, and no fabric samples. She left that all to Claudia as she simply wanted to enjoy life with the man she fell in love with.

She woke from her sleep earlier than usual. The sky was still a deep blue, but she could hear roosters crowing in the distance. The previous night was eventful. It was two weeks until Christmas and Saya had gone Christmas shopping with Claudia the previous day as Hagi, Eric, and Dan went to purchase a tree. Marva had sent Jim off in the Clay and Ellen's van to run an important errand while she pulled out the decorations for the tree.

Saya remembered coming home that evening exhausted but happy as she saw the beautifully decorated tree and Kai and Kaori sitting on the sofa in the living room. She ran to embrace them both and asked where the kids were. Kai nodded to the kitchen where Marva was working with the twins, Lulu, George, and Becca on a large amount of what looked like giant squares of cookies, icing, and various candies.

"So, how do you like the Christmas gift I planned for you?" Marva asked as Saya came into the kitchen.

"You flew my family in for Christmas?" Saya asked as she gave a huge smile of gratitude. "Oh thank you, Marva!"

Marva embraced Saya and informed her that they were working on a gingerbread house. Saya hadn't heard of it before, but thought it looked like a lot of fun. She joined in the fun of sticking pieces of gingerbread together in the shape of a house while the small children tried to stick pieces of candy to it with drops of icing.

She was so exhausted by 9pm, she fell asleep surrounded by her nieces, nephew, and Becca on the sofa. Hagi carried her off to the bedroom. Marva put Kai and Kaori along with the kids in one of the cabins nearest to the main house. The men had set up the cabin for the family of 5. But tonight, George slept on one end of the couch, Becca took the other. Marva set up an air mattress for the twins, but the morning found little George snuggled with the twins on the air mattress in front of the tree.

Lulu walked around the ranch with her mentor throughout the night. She had finished high school while in the care of Kai and Kaori and was debating within herself on the idea of joining up with Lewis and working with the CIA. She chatted away as the stoic man answered the occasional question. When the sun began to rise, she commented that he really looked like he was happy and jokingly asked the reason. He nodded and smiled as he answered that Saya had said yes.

She decided to take a leisurely bath and relax after she wrapped the gifts she had purchased. The sun was well into the sky when she began to wrap the last gift. She barely heard the knock on the door. A sweet smile played at her lips as she came to the door and opened it just enough to poke her head into the hallway, obstructing the view of what she was doing in the bedroom. Sure enough, there he was, waiting for her in the hallway. She smiled to him and greeted just above a whisper, "Good morning, Hagi."

"Good morning, Saya," he returned the greeting with a smile and commented, "You really should eat breakfast- it is 9 in the morning."

"Is it? Oh, I guess I lost track of time, huh?" she commented sadly as she thought she may have to go without her bath this morning.

"What is wrong, Saya?" he asked as he noticed the small frown playing on her lips.

She shook her head and mumbled, "I just wanted to relax in the bath."

"If that is what you wi…" a single finger was placed over his lips, cutting him off.

"No, Hagi, I told you that you are free to do as _you_ choose," she admonished.

He placed a kiss on her finger and gave a small smile. "Saya, I am doing as I wish. I have always served you out of love and I continue to now. Please, allow me to do this for you."

A small blush came to her cheeks at the thought of how sweet he was to her. She nodded. She allowed him in the room, making sure to keep him from seeing the gifts she had stashed in the side of the closet that her clothes had taken over. The gift on the bed was nearly wrapped, but the logo on the box was still visible. She stood in front of it so he wouldn't see it as he went to draw her bath. She smiled as she thought of exactly how this would play out- he draws the bath, goes into the kitchen while she bathes and either fixes or retrieves her breakfast, and then stands guard over the door so that she's not disturbed while she has her time to herself.

Sure enough, an hour later Hagi was standing at the bedroom door as Saya dresses and prepares to eat her breakfast. Anna had made a late breakfast for the children, who seemed to have slept late. They were so proud of the gingerbread house they had put together last night. Hagi was practically dragged to the table where Marva had placed it. The confection stood about 2 feet high and had sheets of melted gumdrops for windows and the roof was outlines with colorful chocolate candies. The door was made with a graham cracker with a gum drop door knob. Peppermint discs were placed along the walkway in the front yard that was really a layer of flaked coconut that made it appear to be snow. He chuckled at the sight and suggested, "You should have my mother tell you all the story of Hansel and Gretel."

Hibiki asked, "Uncle Hagi, did you and Claudia make gingerbread houses when she was our age?"

He smiled at the group of youngsters and nodded, "I will tell you about it later, right now I must take care of your aunt." He left the kitchen carrying the full plates of food with a thought to return for the juice. He overheard the excited chatter of the twins. They were learning English quickly and had picked up some French from his family and some Spanish from Anna and Maria from the last time they were here. He wondered how much more they would learn in the two weeks they would be here.

He called to Saya to open the door as his hands were full at the moment. He was greeted a radiant smile and the sweater he loves so much to see her in. It was the usual pale shade of pink and very soft to the touch. For some reason, it seemed to bring out her eyes as did the diamond earrings she made certain to wear every day. He gave a smile as he placed the plates of food on the night stand as he began to head back to the kitchen for her juice, but his hand was caught by hers. He turned back to see her gaze had turned downward her eyes shrouded by thick black lashes.

"You are so good to me, Hagi," she commented. "But you never seem to want anything for yourself."

He placed a hand over hers and responded, "You agreed to marry me, Saya. That is more than…"

"You've said that so many times," she interrupted. "There must be something I can do for you."

He pulled away and stated, "Saya, I will return with the juice."

He placed a hand on her cheek as she insisted, "But you _want_ something, don't you?"

He smiled as he left the room and her question hanging in the air. He returned shortly with a glass of juice and his tea, placing them on the bedside table. "Saya," his hand cupped her cheek, "I have all I could have ever wanted right here. There is nothing you need to do."

She smiled and responded, "I _want_ to do _something _for you." An idea came into her mind. She noticed how stiff he seemed to be when he was standing or sitting and she decided to eat first and later, she'd find a way to get him to relax.

Half an hour later, he took the empty plates and juice glass to the kitchen. He returned to the room to see Saya in a pair of her cotton sleeping pants and a t-shirt holding a bottle of oil. His eyes went wide as he asked, "Saya, what are you doing?"

She came to him and commanded, "Take off your shirt."

It took him a moment to gather words to respond, "Saya, I do not think we…"

Saya's eyes opened wide with surprise. She finally burst out laughing as she realized what he must have thought was going on. He was still staring wide-eyed, but now a bit of confusion came across his face. "Hagi," she laughed, "you've been around your sister way too long. I want to give you a massage- above the belt!" She added the last part hoping that now he'd get the point.

His cheeks flushed for a moment as he thought that maybe Claudia had been dragging his mind into the gutter along with hers. What was he supposed to think when he walks in on a scene with his fiancée holding a bottle of oil and telling him to remove his shirt? He obediently removed his shirt and lay down on the bed face down, wondering what she was up to. This was the first time he'd ever received a massage, other than the times Marva or Claudia would rub his shoulders or neck. When her small, warm hands began rubbing the oil into his back, he felt himself completely relax. Her hands were gentle but strong as they worked along his shoulders and his spine.

She had only done this for her dad a few times, when he complained of a stiff back. What she lacked in experience, she made up for in knowledge. She knew he lugged that cello case on his shoulders for more than a century and he usually preferred the right one, so she gave it special attention. She knew he'd been impaled many times and had been through surgery on his chest and back, so she was cautious around those areas, knowing to ease up there. She felt his tight muscles relax under her hands until they became as gentle and yielding as dough. She smiled as she heard him let out a small moan, trying to keep from letting himself completely relax.

An hour had passed and Saya was now relaxing next to a very contented chevalier. He was propped up on an elbow as he looked into her eyes. She was lying on her side, facing him as his hand caressed her cheek and then laced through her hair. She was twirling one of the locks near his face around her fingers. When she pulled her finger away, it would leave the ebony strand in a spiral. She almost giggled and found another to play with.

His steel blue eyes looked at the results of her handy work and he frowned pulling his fingers through it to pull the curl out of it. His eyes met hers as she laughed at his reaction. He pulled her into a kiss, to distract her from curling more of his hair. She wrapped her arms around him as he deepened the kiss and her finger found a strand at the back of his head.

Around lunchtime they made an appearance. Claudia, Kai, Bubba, Dan, and Eric were sitting in the living room while the kids played outside with Kaori, Lulu, and Ellen. Clay entered the room as they saw the couple heading for the kitchen. Clay asked Claudia, "Were they in there all morning?"

"Yeah," Claudia answered, "he came to get her breakfast around 9am and then disappeared into the room. He only came out to put the empty plates in the kitchen." A knowing laugh came from the men, but Claudia stilled them with a gesture, "I wouldn't get too excited. He's really old fashioned and he's not going to give in that easily."

"How do you know he ain't done nothin' yet?" Bubba asked.

Kai responded, "You see how long it took him to get up the nerve to even tell her he loves her. I think Claudia's right."

"Care to make a wager?" Bubba asked as his hand went out.

Kai met his gaze and grabbed his hand, "You're on! How much?"

"Twenty sound fair?" Bubba asked as Kai nodded. He then asked, "How do we find out?"

"Easy." Kai said and then shouted, "Hey Saya, come here."

Saya came and, to everyone's surprise Hagi was not obediently at her heels as he stayed behind to wash the dishes and help Anna with lunch. She came up to Kai and asked, "What are all of you discussing?"

"We're just talking about the season, wondering if it will snow," Kai responded.

She smiled as she looked at the window and responded, "I hope it does."

"So what were you two doing in your room all morning?" Kai asked.

She smiled and responded while her gaze stayed on the window, "I gave Hagi a back massage, he needed it. He's always so stiff." She looked at the ring on her finger with a smile and excused herself without a look to anyone in the room.

Kai waited until she was out of the room and commented, "Bubba, you owe me $20."

"She didn't tell you anything. She could be lying to cover it up," Bubba informed.

"No." Kai laughed and then explained, "If they did anything, she would've turned completely red, slapped me in the back of the head, told me it was none of my business, and stormed out of the room."

"He's right, Bubba," Claudia informed. "You owe him $20."

Bubba groaned as he pulled out his wallet and Kai commented, "Easiest money I've ever made."

Clay grinned as he had another idea, "Hey why don't we set up a system like we do for the Super Bowl? We bet on how long we think they'll wait."

There were excited agreements as Claudia warned, "Keep it down! If he hears what we're up to, I'll never hear the end of it from him. Now they planned the wedding for early October, just before Mom's birthday, so I think we should bet on months instead of weeks."

"Nah, half months," Bubba commented. "First half ends on the 14th and the 15th begins the second half."

"Good idea! How much?" Claudia asked as she drew up the board with 21 squares and placed the title of the half months at the very top of each square. The twenty-first square represented that they would get married first. Marva overheard what was happening and came up.

"You know how angry he's going to be if he finds out you're doing this?" Marva asked as she looked at the suddenly still faces of her excited crew along with her daughter and Kai. A smirk came across her features as she added, "Whatever the bet, I want the square where they get married first." With that she walked off leaving the group to their scheming.

They all agreed that they would make it extremely interesting at $100 a square. Bubba had chimed in that he wanted the second part of January because it was Pretty Boy's birthday. Kai decided to think it over before he placed his money.

Saya spent the day playing with the children as Hagi checked on Fury and headed to the winery. He and Dan would be checking the new batch of wine today- the red that was their trademark wine and best seller. Their white was still working and they hoped that it would not turn out as sweet as their first 4 batches. It needed to be a bit drier, so they had cut the amount of sugar. Hagi waited for Dan to finish his tasting of the red. It indeed had turned out perfect. The sweetness was not overpowering and the subtle flavor of smoked mesquite added the hint of flavor they had been looking for. Dan had planted a new grape on the outside of the vineyard and it would produce a native black grape. He intended to pair it with a variety of blue grape that was also grown in the vineyard- hoping to create a completely native red wine. They discussed the number of bottles they had on hand and the inventory. They were looking over customer comments when Kai came in with his hands in his pockets.

Hagi looked up from the list of comments and nodded, "What is it, Kai?"

He scratched the back of his head and stammered, "I'm not really good at this kinda stuff, but uh- I just wanted to say- thanks. You know, for helping with the girls all these years."

The stoic man gave a small smile and responded, "You are welcome, Kai."

"And, um- I'm sorry for all the stuff I did to you- you know- yeah."

Dan gave Hagi a smile as he stood and went to Kai. He responded, "Kai, there is nothing to forgive. You were young and still had no idea what was going on." He decided to change to awkward atmosphere and asked, "Would you a tour of the winery?"

"Sure," Kai responded, grateful for the change. He mentioned, "I could bring Kaori and Saya along. If you give us an hour, Julia and David will…" he stopped as he saw the chevalier's face fall slightly and his posture stiffen. "I thought you trusted them now," Kai commented.

Hagi sighed, "I do- I am just surprised, I had not heard they were coming."

"Marva invited everyone to come. It seems she loves a ranch full of people," Dan commented.

Hagi recalled a comment she'd made before Serenity was born-_ My mother and father always dreamed of having a house filled with family and friends, but I was there only child and I only had one child myself. I guess that dream won't come true for them, but I find that the older I get, the more I want the same thing they did. _He smiled as he thought, _She wants to fulfill that dream._ He asked, "Are Mao, Okamura, and Joel coming, as well?"

"They won't be here until Christmas Eve. Lewis will be here soon, too," Kai commented. "I think Marva mentioned that it was part of her Christmas gift to Saya."

They all agreed that it would be best to wait until Christmas Eve when everyone was here. It would be a special tour just for the Red Shield and their families. Dan handed a glass of their signature red wine to Hagi and one to Kai as he lifted his and toasted, "To new friends and old- to long life, true love, and a wonderful family." Their glasses clinked.

The three drank their glasses and Kai commented, "This wine really is good."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Okay, this is for all you that wanted me to get to the lemon. It isn't the lemon, but it does give some steam. I hope you all like it a little bit since I know I've been very wicked leaving ya'll with only one chapter last week. *Looks up with glittery puppy eyes* Please forgive me. This one will get a little more adult themed- citrus-y, so if you don't like that kind of thing just skip over the part starts with ~~~ and ends with~~~. **

Christmas Eve found Marva, Maria, Anna, and Claudia in the kitchen preparing the enormous feast that would start tonight and the leftovers would hold them through Christmas day. Marva had many years of practice to prepare these meals for an entire ranch, but now she had the added challenge of feeding Saya, her family, and the members of the Red Shield as well. Two very large tom turkeys that Joey had brought back from a hunting expedition were prepared- one smoked and the other roasted. A spiral ham was coated with honey and roasting in the oven along with the venison sausage from the 10 point buck Hagi hunted down in November. Marva always wondered how he managed to bring down those huge deer with just a handful of daggers.

There was a traditional tray of tamales Anna made, and a soup with pinto beans and cilantro, and her spicy salsa complimented the enchiladas she made as well. They would have all the vegetable and rice dishes to work with next. There were pies and cakes cooling as they awaited the finishing touches.

Anna would eye the stealthy Lewis trying to sneak by and stir the soup or taste something every once in a while. He enlisted Lulu to try to distract the women from time to time while he made his move. Anna finally had enough of this and went to the front door calling out "Mr. Trudeaux!" Hagi knew that Anna was upset when she called him by his last name. He appeared almost instantly and Anna relayed the situation in Spanish. Lewis and Lulu didn't understand what was being said, but they knew from the chevalier's stone faced expression that there would be no more trouble from them today.

The women put the finishing touches on dinner as the sun was low in the sky. Hagi and Dan led the tour of the winery, pointing out the vats that were working and what was in them. They kept a slower pace so that Joel could keep up.

Mao held her growing belly every once in a while when her baby kicked. Okamura would whisper that she should sit down, to which she responded, "I'm only 6 months pregnant. Stop treating me like an old lady!" They decided that they would lay off the traveling, except for this occasion, until the baby was in school and could stay with Kai and Kaori in Okinawa during the school year.

Okamura took a job as a reporter for the newspaper in Tokyo where they now lived.

Kai and Kaori were planning to have a second child as well. They wanted a girl this time, but George wanted another boy to play with.

Julia and David surprised everyone when they showed up with Michael and a brand new little girl. She was only a month old. She was named Lisa by her birth mother. Julia and David had decided that they should adopt a child the way George had adopted his three children. There are so many children in the world that need a good home, so Julia and David decided to open theirs to the little girl.

Lewis had decided that working for the CIA was his calling in life and there was no room for private relationships. He now wore a black suit on the new, slightly slimmer body he was sporting, but he still remained the same jovial Lewis that played pranks and loved food. He was grinning from ear to ear when Lulu decided she was giving up the role of chiropteran babysitter to take on the new role of a CIA agent. Soon she'd be wearing dark suits and going on missions with her partner.

The twins had learned to handle their swords well and were begging Hagi and Saya to spar with them. Lulu smiled that she'd like to get in on the action as well. Saya gave a smile. She had been aching to have a real sparring match with her chevalier for some time now- especially now that he was so much stronger. Saya responded that it could wait until after Christmas.

Joel still had many things on his plate. He was the CEO of the pharmaceutical company founded by the Red Shield in order to get their cures out to the world, but he was also still president of the Red Shield. He gladly took time off to spend time with the families of the two chiropterans.

To him, it was no surprise that Saya had found a place with a family. Joel I's diary gave him the idea that she was very in touch with her human side, even during the war she showed quite a bit of human emotion.

Hagi was an enigma all together. In the diary, he was becoming a gentleman and possibly a perfect mate for Saya, but the war came and all the logs in the diary revealed him to be emotionless and cold. He wondered how this man had become part of a family. Marva seemed to be such a warm, caring individual and Claudia was like a brilliant spark in the dark of night- so different from the man. But he noticed that the stoic man was so relaxed around his family. Occasionally, Joel saw the man smile. It made him feel sad that maybe it was not the circumstances that had Hagi so cold, but rather the people that surrounded him.

Joel watched the stoic man wearing a hand tailored black suit- no doubt made by his sister, as he led the tour with his porcelain hands clasped behind himself. Occasionally he would turn his head to point out some interesting item and what it was used for. Joel could see the small smile that played at the corner of the man's mouth. Hagi was happy- he deserved to be happy. His long life had been nothing but pain and loss so far. Joel had to admit that wine making seemed to suit the chevalier well. He wondered what had possessed him to take it up.

"He looks like a sommelier," Okamura commented lowly as he motioned to Hagi.

Mao laughed lowly and retorted, "That's 'cause he is a sommelier, stupid!"

Saya smiled from ahead of them as she overheard the conversation. She then heard Kai ask, "What's a som- whatever that was?"

Mao rolled her eyes and explained, "A sommelier is an expert in wines- gee I'm surrounded by idiots!"

Joel had to smile, too. He had thought that the dark haired man would have become some traveling musician, but instead, he was now the co-owner of one of the quickest growing and most popular wineries in the world. He wondered what Joel I would think if he saw the sight of a gypsy boy bought with a loaf of bread becoming successful, but he already knew the answer. Joel would be proud of him.

As the tour ended, they each were given a glass of either red or white wine- their preference, and they toasted the success of the winery. Mao opted to just watch rather than drink Kaori joined her and commented that she would not drink either, since she wasn't certain yet. She and Kai were hoping that she was pregnant. Saya walked over to them and they noticed her dodge a barrel that sat against the wall with a tube and some glass decoration on top. Mao remembered that during the tour that equipment was used to help the wine release air that was produced by the fermentation process. She wondered why such a small batch.

Hagi joined them as Saya grasped his free hand with hers and commented, "I like the red wine. There's a smoky sweet smell to it- like the smell of Jim's barbecue."

He smiled and responded to her with a wink, "That would be our secret ingredient."

She blushed as Mao pointed to the barrel and asked, "What is that one? I noticed it earlier."

He responded, "That one is a test batch I am working on. I am trying to create a very special blush wine."

"_You_ are? I thought you and Dan did this together," Mao commented as she went to the barrel.

He joined her along with Saya and Kaori. Kai joined them to see what they were talking about.

"This is something I wanted to try," Hagi stated. His answer went no further when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Mao almost laughed when she saw the man that looked to be from a century long gone, pull a cell phone out and respond to someone on the other end. He closed the phone and motioned Dan over announcing, "Mom says dinner is ready. We should all head back to the main house."

The tour group came into the main dining area that was set up. Marva had to turn the living room into a large dining room for Lulu and the children. Mao and Kaori joined them with the new baby. They were given plates of food and drinks of their choices. The twins, of course, were set up with three plates and Lulu would retrieve more if it was needed.

Saya sat next to Hagi and just happened to be near the large tray of cranberry sauce. She had to stifle a giggle from the memory of Thanksgiving. She decided to help Marva in the kitchen and asked if she could help make the sauce. She had always wondered how they could get the tart flavored jelly to mold into a perfect cylinder. She was given a couple of cans, a can opener, and a white oblong tray. Looking at Marva with confusion she asked, "So what do I do now?"

Marva replied, "Just open both ends of each can and pour it onto the plate."

She did as commanded and was absolutely surprised when the sauce came out of the can in a perfect cylinder! She laughed until there were tears in her eyes. Marva came to her side and asked what had her laughing so hard. She responded, "I always thought that you had to make it like gelatin. I didn't know it came out of the can like that."

Marva laughed as Anna came up and responded, "The same thing happened to me the first time, too."

The entire group decided to relax after eating in the back yard as the hired hands, Jim, David, Lewis, and Kai watched football in the living room. The remaining adults sat on the porch while the children played in the yard on Claudia's old play yard and Michael opted to climb up to the tree house with Kanade and George. Saya held a glass of white wine in her hand. The porch light made the center stone of her ring flash in fiery brilliance.

Mao was sitting near Saya and leaned over to grab her hand. Saya smiled as she shifted her glass to her right so that Mao could admire the ring. "Damn, Hagi, It's beautiful! Where did you get this monster?" Mao asked.

"I had to search a long time to find it," he responded as Saya gave him a radiant smile that made her eyes sparkle.

Claudia added, "I've noticed before- it's a rose gold setting with a ring of white diamonds surrounding the center stone. The color of that stone is to pale to be a pink sapphire."

He smiled, letting the women guess. Marva looked at her son and knew what it was from the fact that she knew the amount he'd spent on the ring. It was the only purchase on his account that large, but he definitely had the money to give such an indulgence to the woman he loved. Marva smiled as she thought about what the center stone was. Rose gold was expensive, but not nearly as expensive as that stone.

The women each guessed, but finally Claudia gave a knowing smile and commented, "I knew you were crazy about her but I didn't think you'd completely lost your mind! I know that stone is a half carat- at least. It has to be a pink diamond."

Saya's eyes went wide. She looked at the ring and then to him as the women all collectively let out an, "Ooo!"

He admitted, "Yes, it is a diamond. It was hard to find the right shade, but the man who made it for me called it vivid pink."

"Aren't pink diamonds really rare?" Mao asked as she admired the ring.

"Not as rare as blue," Joel commented as he came up and admired the ring as well, "but this shade is highly sought after and very pricey." He then smirked at Hagi, "You just had to go over the top and have it set in rose gold."

"Of course," he commented as he looked at the still surprised Saya who was now staring at the ring on her hand. She had no idea that the ring was so rare or valuable.

She finally looked at him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, that he didn't need to go to such an extreme, that she'd love him even if he had only given her a plain gold band. She became lost in his eyes as she now understood just how much he really loved her. He was willing to die for her and had actually done so on more than one occasion. The ring's value was nothing compared to what he had given to be with her. She felt her heart could burst at this moment. His eyes were drawing her to him, but she didn't move. There were too many eyes here when all she wanted at this moment was to be alone with him. She vaguely heard him making his apologies as he lead her through the living room and back to her room.

When he shut the door, she looked at him and began to speak, "Hagi, I would lo…"

She was cut off when his mouth pressed hard against hers. His arms went around her as she snaked hers around his waist and closed her eyes. They parted for a moment to breathe. He smiled as he explained, "I have wanted to kiss you all day, but we have been so busy."

She returned his smile and said, "You didn't have to get me such an expensive ring. I would love you even if you gave me a plain gold band, Hagi."

His finger traced her bottom lip as he told her, "I want to show you how much I love you."

She moved closer and breathed, "You already have." Her mouth pressed against his. Her tongue rubbed around his as they held each other close. She squeezed him closer to her before she felt him pull away. He had that look in his eyes that made her quiver all over.

He had to look away from her to regain control. He asked her, "How have I shown you how much I love you?"

She turned his face to hers again. The look was still there as she answered, "When you went to get the lilies for me, the countless times you took an attack that was meant for me, and when you woke up from a coma just to kiss me." He kissed her forehead and then her cheek. She looked into his steel blue eyes and added, "You've shown me constantly throughout the decades just how much you love me, but I was just too blind to see it." Her eyes danced with sincerity, "I'm sorry. I wish I could have seen it sooner, maybe I would have realized that I was in love with you, too."

"There is noth…" he tried to say, but Saya pressed her mouth to his, cutting him off. She thought,_ There is no way I'm letting you say there's nothing to apologize for when there clearly is! I won't let you do this anymore and I'm going to make it right by you._

Her kiss was unexpected, but welcome. Hagi closed his eyes as he felt himself sitting down on the bed along with her. He wasn't certain how it happened. She was now opening the collar and pulling it back. His brows furrowed as he thought she had a transfusion a few days ago. But his mind wanted this- his body wanted this. She pushed him back as he waited for the feeling of sharp fangs breaking the skin and releasing his life force, but that didn't happen. He felt her warm lips against the sensitive skin just above the collar bone. He hissed a sharp intake of air as she ran her tongue along the same spot. A heat burned through him as he tried to move away, but his body remained still, entranced by what she was doing to him.

~~~~~~Citrus ahead~~~~~~~

She knew what she was doing to him. She had noticed that when her hands ghosted across his neck, he would try to hide the way he trembled. It had made her wonder what would happen if she kissed him there. She heard him let out a low moan as his head went back, allowing her better access to his neck. Taking advantage of this, Saya traced his neck to his jaw with small kisses that barely touched the skin.

_Please stop, _he thought as his body screamed for her to keep going. His mind whirled with fantasies of what she could be doing to him and what he wanted to do to her. He tried his best to hide the evidence of his thoughts as he broke away from her and headed to the restroom.

Ever since Claudia had revealed 'the look' to Saya, she found that she could see not only his current state, but the years of yearning to be loved- to be touched. She felt sorry for what she had done almost immediately. It was true, she wanted to tempt him, but she was hoping for him to give in and let her touch him. She wanted to bring him some satisfaction after all the decades of longing.

He was panting as he let the memory of her tongue and lips against his skin play in his mind. The skin she had touched still burned with the memory. His left hand gripped the edge of the sink as he gasped and his right hand stopped moving. It took moment before he began to clean up after himself and then immediately thought of what excuse he was going to give for such an abrupt departure. He leaned against the sink and groaned as his palm went to his forehead- how did he let it go this far?

~~~~~~~~Citrus ends~~~~~~~~~~

She was laying on the bed with her back to the restroom, when he came out. He fumbled through an excuse as she sat up. She didn't look at him but welcomed him to her side. She asked, "Why do you want to wait until our wedding day? Times have changed, why can't we change with them?"

"Times may have changed, but I have not. I want this to be right," he answered.

She turned to him and reassured, "It would be right with you- whether we're married or not."

He looked at her sadly and explained, "Joel would have wanted us to be married."

"Hagi, I know he would, but…"

"Please," he pleaded, "to honor his memory."

She nodded. "We've waited this long- what's 10 more months?" She gathered her courage and took a breath before she asked, but was interrupted by a sharp knock. "Come in, Claudia."

Claudia entered with her hand over her eyes and asked if they were decent or if she should come back in 30 minutes. Hagi shook his head as Saya laughed and told her to stop playing.

She looked at them and commented, "Well, sorry, but from the way you two left, I thought there'd be fireworks and creaking bed springs for the next hour or so." She laughed as her brother's face grew pink from embarrassment, proving he was feeling guilty about something. She decided to leave that alone and stated, "Mom says we need to get ready for church. If you're going- you have 1 hour to get ready."

Hagi chuckled as he informed Saya, "If we do not go, Mom will not let us open presents."

Saya sighed, "Oh, no. Then I won't be able to see what you got me. I guess that means I should get dressed."

Claudia asked, "You gonna stick around to watch her Big Brother?"

He rose to leave as he commented, "No, sister, I am a gentleman."

"Even a gentleman can have a moment of weakness-" she commented and then added. "especially one that has waited as long as you have!" Knowing she hit a nerve she took off as fast as she could. He followed as Saya shook her head at the pair. Claudia certainly was in high spirits lately, but Saya had seen her when she thought she was alone. Tears would streak her face. It was obvious she missed the baby very much, but her family surrounded her with love and happiness. Saya wondered if the woman would ever find someone else to be with her.

Saya looked to the restroom where a nice hot bath waited for her. She smiled as she thought of all the times during the war that she was given the rare luxury of Hagi drawing a hot bath for her to relax in. Her mind relived the moments one by one. In each one, she could see his eyes averted, but a look of complete sadness. She knew it was because he wanted to tell her, but couldn't.

Hagi stood by his car in his black suit and polished black boots as he waited for Saya. Claudia had shouted for her to hurry or she and Hagi would leave without her. His breath caught as she emerged from the house wearing a flowing, pale pink gown that shimmered in the moonlight. She had decided to grow her hair out, so her bangs were pinned back from her eyes with glittery barrettes. Her eyes sparkled as she came up to him. He felt himself finally let out his breath and whispered, "You look beautiful, Saya."

She turned her face down and blushed as she said, "Thank you."

The effect of her pink cheeks against the gown was dazzling. He let her in the car and came around to the driver's side. As he got in he asked Claudia and Saya, "Did you bring a coat in case the weather turns cold. Claudia patted the space next to her where a red coat and pink jacket rested. He nodded and he started the car.

"At least it's not raining, Big Brother," Claudia teased.

"Do you wish for me to lock you in your room again, Sister?" he retorted with a small glimmer in his eyes.

Saya put her hand on his knee, bringing his attention to her as his eyes remained on the road, "Hagi, you look handsome tonight. I should tell you more often."

Claudia snorted out a laugh and responded, "Saya, if you say stuff like that he's going to blush and then I'll never stop laughing."

"Do not make me stop this car, Claudia," he scolded. Saya began to laugh at the exchange. They were acting like two teenagers.

During the service, Saya noticed the stares of other women so she made certain to pretend to move a hair from her face, bringing up the hand where the fabulous diamond engagement ring rested. She was going to make certain they knew who he belonged to. She didn't understand this jealous side of herself, it was plainly obvious these women did not even come close to turning his head. Yet, she couldn't help but feel she had to make her claim to him very clear- maybe it was some chiropteran instinct.

She listened to the readings of the scriptures, but exhaustion was making her eyelids heavy. Hagi had to carry her out when service ended. He looked at his beautiful queen sleeping in his arms as he carried her to the car. She nuzzled closer to his chest in her slumber and breathed in his scent with a lazy smile and a blush.

He took her to her room as soon as they arrived at the house. He kissed her forehead before Claudia changed her for bed.

**Just wanted to give a shout out to all of you that have been talking me through this difficult week, especially TykkiMikk for letting me bend your ear for a bit.**


	11. Chapter 11

Saya awoke with a start. Her dream had her in a cold sweat. She couldn't remember what it was about, but she did recall being in a dark place where she could not escape. She was screaming for Hagi, but she knew that he couldn't hear her. Her hibernations always frightened her because she worried that the cocoon wouldn't release her, she'd suffocate, or she'd die in some kind of way. She figured the dream was a result of her fears. She kicked the covers off and headed to the bathroom for a hot shower.

She came out to a room full of children. She shrieked and went back into the bathroom, peaking out the door as she opened it a crack. She was only wearing a towel around her and was not sure why the kids were there in the first place.

"Aunt Saya," Hibiki asked the door, "C'mon it's Christmas! We have to open gifts."

"Yeah," Kanade added, "don't you want to see what Uncle Hagi gave you?"

Saya called out the door, "Yes, but I'd also like to put some clothes on." When the children made no moves to leave she added, "I'm not coming out until there's no one in my room!"

The group hurried for the door with squeals that Aunt Saya was coming.

She found the living room was already full of family and friends. She smiled as Kaori held George in her lap, keeping him from the gifts surrounding the tree. The twins looked up and saw their Aunt Saya which seemed to give them permission to suddenly dive into the gifts followed by Michael, Becca, and George.

Saya smiled as she wondered over to Hagi and Marva. She leaned against him as she handed him a small box wrapped in a shimmery crimson paper with a small gold bow. "Merry Christmas," she said softly as he took the gift in one hand and wrapped his free arm around her.

"Merry Christmas, Saya," he returned and then leaned in to her. He watched her close her eyes as he whispered in her ear, "Your gift is not here. I will take you to it when we are alone."

She grinned and gave a small giggle. She opened her eyes and pulled him down to her. She whispered, "I hope you will grant my request to a sparring match later on."

He gave a small chuckle as he brushed his lips against her cheek, "I look forward to it."

After the gifts were opened and everyone had breakfast, Joel led everyone in the Red Shield to the dining room for a meeting. Hagi stood against the wall behind Saya with his arms folded over his chest. She had noticed he was in his more casual clothes, a button down black shirt tucked into a pair of black jeans.

Julia informed everyone of the progress of the Red Shield. The advancements made in medicine through the use of chiropteran DNA gave Saya hope that chiropterans were not really a blight on the human world, but rather an enhancement.

She relayed that they had tested Hibiki and Kanade's blood. It was indeed toxic to each other, but neither of their bloods were effected by Saya's or Saya's by theirs. It was apparent that only that generation of queen's seemed to be able to crystallize each other. This meant that Saya's blood would not be effective on the queens and their chevaliers.

Julia gave more information on the injection given to Saya. She had discovered that queens do not sexually mature until they reach 50 years of age. They go into hibernation as soon as they are no longer in heat. That is why they are awake for 3 years and sleep 30. They are only able to conceive in that 3 year period and the 30 years they sleep is so their body can heal and regenerate from their active time. "Saya no longer hibernates," Julia informed. "When she is given the injection, her heat cycle lasts for 1 year and then for the next 2 years she will be less active, but she will not go into hibernation. Then the process restarts."

"What side effects will Saya need to expect from these injections?" Joel asked the scientist.

"She will feel a lot more energy in her inactive times than she has before," Julia answered. "Other than that, we can see no other chance of side effects."

"So I won't hibernate anymore?" Saya asked as a smile came over her face. No longer will she sleep through the world around her changing or losing loved ones. She won't miss the birth of babies, the first time they talk, loved one's hair turning grey, or all the times good and bad.

"No," Julia smiled. She caught the small smile that played at the chevalier's lips for a second. She took a breath and added, "I have also decided to request that Hagi and Saya be given full disclosure of all information the Red Shield has on chiropterans- past and present, as well as future." Her eyes met the leader of the Red Shield and demanded, "We owe this to them, Joel. They have been treated badly by the Red Shield and I feel they should know everything that we know."

Joel nodded as he thought of what he had seen yesterday and the revelation he had about the stoic man. He rose to his feet and came up to the man. Hagi's hands went to his side as he regarded the man who now had small silver hairs in his sideburns. Joel stated formally, "I cannot atone for the ones that came before me, but I can offer you my own apology. Hagi, I am truly sorry for the way that we of the Red Shield have treated you and Saya. I have apologized to Saya before, but I know that the Red Shield has treated you with even more disregard. Please accept my sincere apologies for what has been done to you."

Hagi's eyebrows raised and then he listened to the speech. He had never imagined an apology would come from all this. He accepted the man's hand and replied, "I accept your apology."

Saya smiled as she turned to Julia and asked, "Is there anything we should know about?"

Julia nodded, "Amshel's journal has come into our possession and so have all his medical notes and procedures. I am certain you will want to read them. If you have any questions I will be glad to answer them."

Before anyone else could speak, Kai rose and commented, "I want to know one more thing before you end this _Christmas_ meeting." He was obviously not thrilled at the idea of having a meeting on a holiday. He knew that Julia called the meeting because Lewis and Lulu were leaving to the CIA headquarters in D.C. tomorrow, while Mao and Okamura were headed back to Tokyo in the morning. All eyes were on him now so he continued, "Have you discovered anything new about Saya being able to have kids.

Saya looked at Kai in shock while Hagi had an ominous feeling. There was no way they could reproduce. He knew that he had been warned that if they did have children, Queen Aksaya would bring about a new war that would be fought between all the immortals and he and Saya.

Julia responded, "Sadly, I believe Amshel was correct that the barrier around her ovum cannot be broken down. This means that only Diva's chevaliers can impregnate Saya." She turned to Saya and said, "I am truly sorry, Saya."

Saya gave a small smile, "That's okay, Julia. I'm surrounded by Kai's family and now I'm part of Hagi's family, too. I really don't need any kids." She came to her feet and commented, "If you will all excuse me, Hagi and I have a sparring match with Lulu and the girls before Lulu and Lewis leave for the CIA."

Hagi followed her out, and they headed for the room to get his cello case. Claudia cleared her throat as they moved though the opening to the hallway. They both turned- Saya had a questioning look. They saw her pointing for them to look up as the kids giggled. Marva hid her smile behind her hand as the ranch hands chuckled lowly. The Red Shield members filed into the room as the pair looked up to the small green sprig with a red ribbon tied around it.

Kai asked, "What's that?"

Claudia gave a knowing smile as her brother sighed and Saya blushed. She answered, "It's mistletoe."

Kai gave a questioning look as he turned his gaze to the pair, wondering what the idea was behind all this.

The couple looked at each other, a blush still coloring Saya's cheeks. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close as they kissed each others cheeks.

The gathered crowd sputtered laughter as Claudia came up and scolded, "No. No. No, Big Brother. Kiss her like you mean it! Those are the rules."

"There are no rules, Sister," Hagi retorted. "The tradition is that you kiss, it does not say anything else."

She physically turned him to Saya and commanded, "A _real kiss_ this time!"

Kai finally got it. He added, "Come on, Saya! You said you love him- prove it."

Saya's face turned red as she responded, "Quit it, Kai! I'll put you and Kaori on the spot!"

"We'd be happy to show you how it's done," he suggested with a raised eyebrow.

Saya puffed her cheeks at her brother. She turned and closed her eyes, trying to forget the crowd gathered. It was quick- she grabbed Hagi's lapel and pulled his mouth to hers. Their lips pressed together and he wrapped his arms around her, still a bit surprised at the bold action. At first, their minds were on the crowd, but the feeling of being in each others arms drowned out all that was going on around them. They held the kiss, even though there were cheers and applause that normally would embarrass them. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she rose to her tip toes, deepening the kiss. He pulled back from her and commented, "Should we get the cello and our weapons?"

She blinked and for a moment she couldn't remember what she had wanted to do. If he didn't have his arms around her still, she would have stumbled backward. The kiss was supposed to be a way to get back at Kai, but it seemed to have a different effect than planned. She came to her senses and pushed his arms away as she answered, "Yeah." They turned away from the laughs and cheers that followed them, leaving Saya blushing madly and Hagi trying to hide the color in his cheeks as well.

The twins were off in a full run, followed by blue streaks. They were stopped by tall, dark figure, wielding a huge katana. Silver flashes left his hands and whizzed past their heads four metal clangs were heard behind them as Lulu blocked every dagger with her huge axe as she turned it against each one.

Saya dropped in front of Lulu as her blue streak faded and her katana clanged against the axe. Saya turned and swung her sword around in an arc, coming back around to meet the axe again. She pushed until the axe moved away and connected her foot to the schiff's stomach, sending her flying.

Hibiki came in on his left, Kanade to the right. The girls played on their strengths. Kanade was the physically strong one, so she attacked his dominant side. She slashed as the chevalier easily blocked each attack with his katana with a clang.

Hibiki had to deal with getting around the cello case. She finally opted to jump into the air and use the momentum of a spinning kick to force the case from him, sending it flying away. The chevalier now had the two queens to contend with. He swung around, razor sharp sword singing. The girls dodged with a jump backward as Hibiki looked at Kanade and they knew what the plan was.

Kanade slashed at the man, coming in fast. She lunged and then turned, bringing her leg around and connecting with his side. He was thrust into the air, but righted himself, skidding on the ground a few feet only to be met by a slash of the blade on Hibiki's sword. He saw it coming and had transformed his left hand into a claw, holding the blade. His blue eyes met hers as he thrust her away. She and her sword were separated as she spun in the air.

Lulu had righted herself and brought her axe up just in time to block Saya from claiming victory. Her feet came up as well, kicking Saya into the air. She came down, blade in front of her and awaited Lulu's attack. Lulu jumped up and brought the axe up. The two circled each other slowly, awaiting the other's attack.

Hagi took the offensive with Kanade, knowing Hibiki would be busy finding her sword. He sent four silvery darts ahead of him and brought the katana back. She dodged them effortlessly, but the chevalier was another matter. He brought the katana up in an arc and then back down. She ducked and dodged, but felt the blade graze her right shoulder. She brought her blade around, connecting with his, but she didn't expect his free left hand to come around, dodging the connected swords and hold a dagger to her throat. His face held the same unreadable expression and he gave no indication of the effort he had put forth. She dropped her sword, telling him that he had won.

Victory celebrations would wait, Hibiki was already upon him. She descended from above. He did not look up, but brought his left hand that held the dagger above his head, blocking her with a clang. She managed to push away and land a few feet to his right, on one knee. He didn't wait for her to regain her feet as she was surrounded by a barrage of stiletto daggers, pinning her jacket to the ground as the cold blade of his katana rested at the left side of her neck. She huffed as she wiped a cold sweat from her brow.

Kanade and Hagi helped Hibiki remove the daggers from her coat and free her from her position of surrender on the ground. He retrieved the cello, reloaded his daggers into the wrists of his jacket and watched the final battle between Saya and Lulu, waiting for his turn to face off with his queen. She was amazing in his eyes. Her eyes were glowing red as she faced off with the lavender haired girl, calculating her opponent.

He watched as the scene seemed to move in slow motion in his mind. Saya lunged forward, beads of sweat glittered from her brow, her sharpened katana sang as it swung forward- complimenting her battle cry. The staccato of metal clangs as sword met axe played an amazing song in the background of the glorious battle. Saya brought her leg up, the kick was blocked as Lulu brought her axe handle up, barring the attack. She spun the axe and then brought it around, singing through the air. Saya jumped high into the air, dodging the blade.

Saya saw her chevalier out of the corner of her eye, standing next to her nieces with his usual stoic expression. His blue-grey eyes followed her as she moved. This was a great practice but she was anxious to push herself to her limits. She came down and began her onslaught. Her sword came down, across, up- Lulu dodged, jumped, blocked, and then swung only to find Saya's sword came against the handle, followed by a foot to her grip on the handle. The axe went flying and a surprised Lulu stood before Saya. The battle was over.

The group of chiropterans said nothing as Lulu retrieved her axe and joined the twins. They found a seat in the cool grass, next to the cello as the weather began to turn colder. Kai arrived on the scene in a red sweater and jeans, carrying three coats- red for Kanade, blue for Hibiki, and lavender for Lulu. Hibiki asked, "What about Aunt Saya and Uncle Hagi?"

"Marva's on her way," he informed as he watched the two love birds circling each other. He knew that the feelings they had for each other would be put aside so they could face off to see just how much each had grown in strength. Suddenly, a barrage of glittering daggers came hurtling toward Saya. She didn't bother to dodge as she brought up her blade. The daggers met the blade in a sound of repeating metal on metal. She gave him a look- _You'll have to do far better than that!_

_I am just getting started._ He jumped into the air, landing in front of her. His dagger blocked her katana as he brought his sword around. She spun away, bringing her sword around, meeting his dagger again. It looked like a tango of metal and strength as one would charge, the other dodge and then attack.

Marva arrived with her arms full with a burgundy coat and a black, wool lined trench coat in her arms. She was wearing her denim, wool lined, jacket. Her silver straight tresses were hanging loose to her hips. She usually wore it in a long braid or opted to pull it into a bun, but felt like wearing it loose today.

Kai regarded the woman that Hagi called "Mom", wondering how she had managed to break through that stoic exterior. He noticed Hagi was warm and caring- so different from the man he knew 12 or 13 years ago. He remembered how difficult it was to convince the man to tell Saya how much he loved her, but Kai had seen it from the first time he met the stoic man. His eyes would continually slide to where Saya stood and he could somehow sense the feelings the expressionless man hid away.

The two continued to spar into the sunset. Saya was still sweating as she brought her blade across only to find his dagger once again. He jumped back as he sensed her hunger, which she was mentally pushing aside. This had to stop- she had skipped lunch and was about to miss dinner. He took two daggers and brought one against her blade, the other he held as he brought his sword up and pushed her to the ground, pinning her down with the dagger and placing the blade to her throat. Her glowing eyes opened wide in shock. He had won- for the first time in a very long history of sparring matches, he had won.

She was panting and was surprised to find that he was as well. Her breath came in puffs of steam in the now cold air. He pulled the katana away from her throat as he remained straddled over her hips, panting out puffs of steam as small white snowflakes fell around them. The effect was taking her breath away- his hair fell around his porcelain face in a halo of black. His blue eyes enhanced by the deep blue sky that surrounded him, dotted by the falling white snowflakes.

He was in awe of the scene on the ground. She lay below him, her hair falling back against the green grass, her eyes fading from red to a happy burgundy against her somewhat sun kissed and flushed skin. Snowflakes adorned her black hair like baby's breath against black velvet. She panted out in puffs of steam, giving the effect of some romantic dream where faces were hidden in the mist.

She commented, "You finally won." Her stomach growled angrily as he removed the dagger and moved his leg over and rose to his feet, offering a hand to help her up. Marva came to his side with the jacket and coat. Saya took hers and quickly slipped into it, not realizing until a moment ago that it had gotten so cold. Lulu had already headed back to join Lewis as they prepared to leave. He shouldered his cello on the right and wrapped the left around Saya as they headed to the house.

"That was truly amazing," Marva commented as she looked at Hagi and Saya while they headed back to the house with thicker snowflakes falling around them in a hiss.

Hagi smiled and responded, "Thank you, Mom."

Hibiki and Kanade asked at the same time, "Uncle Hagi, has anyone at the ranch seen your wings?"

He looked at the twins and responded, "Claudia has."

"Please, could you show your mom?" Hibiki asked.

"Just this once?" Kanade added.

Marva was a bit nervous. She had never seen his true form before and Claudia described it as completely amazing. Marva found it may be a bit unnerving. She heard him ask, "Are you certain, Mom?" She took a deep breath and nodded with a nervous smile.

Saya took his jacket and stepped in front of him to give him some room as he placed the cello on the ground, knowing that he needed quite a bit of space. Marva resisted the urge to close her eyes or look away. A sudden rush of wind came forth as huge black wings erupted from his back. He stretched the wings to their full span. Marva was in awe. He looked like something from another world. She nervously approached him and touched the tip of his wing, it felt like thick leather. She thought something like this would be thin, but it wasn't. They were not only used for flying, but to shield from attacks as well. She thought, _Anyone else would be frightened by this. Anyone else would be running. _She looked into the face of the man she knew for more than 40 years. His eyes held worry that maybe this was more than she could take. Regardless of his age, he would always be her son- wings and all. She touched his cheek and responded, "You're my son. I told you long ago that it didn't matter to me what you were- I meant it."

The black wings retracted and he pulled her into a hug. His voice was as soft and lulling as the hiss of the snowflakes that fell, "And I am grateful that you are my mother."

The group walked back to the main house, Hagi had one arm around his fiancée and the other around his mom still managing the cello case on his shoulder. He seemed to be the only one that noticed the dark haired woman in the floor length black gown and vest, brightly colored beads adorned her neck as she danced near the tree line.

Hibiki asked in their secret language, "Does he see her?"

Kanade answered as she looked back to see his gaze was directed to the tree line, "Yes. Should we tell him?"

"Not yet," Hibiki answered. "Maybe in a few days he'll be ready to know."

They came to the house as someone else was watching from a distance. His blonde waves blew away from his face, revealing the amused smile that stretched across his lips. He commented, "Batman."


	12. Chapter 12

Saya's eyes snapped open. The alarm clock on the nightstand glowed in green 3:36. _I don't need to be awake for another 4 and a half hours, _she reasoned with herself as she shifted herself to a more comfortable position and closed her eyes. She tried to clear her mind, but little thoughts of the sparring match and Hagi kept popping into her head. She turned again- this time her eyes were directed to the ceiling. She huffed as she thought, _I wish he was here playing for me… even if he was just staring out the window. _She pulled the pillow over her face and let out a groan and then tossed it away. She heard the soft knock at the door and smiled as she kicked the covers off as she clicked on the bedside lamp and went to the door.

She opened her door quietly to let him in. He was in his black jeans and a tan turtle neck sweater that was hand knitted, probably the gift Marva had given him. His hair hung in loose obsidian waves, begging to be touched. Her arms snaked around his neck, running her fingers through each silky strand. His arms felt warm around her waist. His deep voice vibrated in her ears like a lullaby as he asked, "Saya, why are you awake at this hour?"

Her cheek pressed against the soft sweater as she felt the steady drumming of his heartbeat. She nearly whispered, "Hagi, I can't sleep. Can you please just play something for me?"

"Saya, everyone is asleep and I would not wish to disturb them," he reasoned as he continued to hold her to his chest. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head. "Would you like to go for a walk, instead?"

She nodded as she went to the dresser and pulled out her jeans and a deep burgundy sweater with pink roses adorning the left side. She had noticed that her chevalier's family had guessed his favorite color correctly, but not the shade. Hibiki and Kanade had pointed out that he admitted Saya's eyes were her most beautiful feature- especially when she was happy. Saya had informed Claudia the following day of the color change for the wedding. It made her wonder… She caught his hands with hers, bringing them in front of her and feeling over the left one with her thumb. His back was to the lamp, blocking the light and making it hard to see well, but she could feel that he was wearing his Christmas gift from her. She bit her lip and then asked, "Do you like it?"

"I do like it," he answered as he took her in his arms again, letting her change of clothes drop on the bed. Their lips lightly touched. She stood on her toes and brought his mouth to hers again. They kissed for a while before he pulled away and asked, "Why did you get one that does not match yours?"

She smiled and responded, "I don't think Kai or the guys would ever quit teasing you if you wore a pink ring."

He laughed and responded, "I suppose you are right. Claudia would find it amusing as well."

She smiled and commented, "It suits you better- besides, it's your favorite color."

She changed and came into the living room where he waited for her as he looked out the window at the thin layer of snow that covered the ground. She came up to him, but from the way he stood, she couldn't help but admire a different view.

He caught her look out of the corner of his eye and scolded, "Saya."

She blushed as she commented, "You look really good in jeans, Hagi."

He decided to ignore compliment, but couldn't hide the color in his cheeks as he grabbed their coats from the hall closet. The ring on his left hand glittered in the dim light. A long row of baguette cut garnets stretched across the face of the gold ring, it served to remind him that he was hers and she was his. They would be joined for eternity in10 more months. A small smile came across his face as he slid Saya's coat on and zipped it up before he put his own on.

The night was cold and the air was crisp. The thin layer of snow crunched beneath their feet as they headed north at a leisurely pace, occasionally sharing smiles as they talked of old times. She smiled as they arrived at the winery and Hagi unlocked the door. He noticed her cheeks were flushed from the cold and hoped the air was slightly warmer inside.

He clicked on the lights as they entered the cold entryway. _Dan must have left a while ago_, Hagi reasoned as he started the small heater they used in this area. This was where Hagi and Dan would do their business so it was usually kept heated in the winter. The entire winery had to be kept cool in the summers, though. He led Saya to the heater and returned with a couple of chairs, placing them side by side. They sat and warmed each other in their embrace, her head pressed into his shoulder as her small arms encircled his middle.

She breathed in his warm scent as she closed her eyes. Her body was beginning to warm up in the glow of the heater and the strong arms that held her. The thought occurred to her that in all the years that he had watched over her and given her such attentive care, she had never really thought about whether he may be hot or cold. How odd it seemed to her that she had never noticed. Her eyes slid upward to see the man staring into the orange glow of the heater with his usual expression. She knew it would be there, but there was a slight pink to his cheeks that came from the cold wind that chilled his face during their walk. She realized her face must feel the same, but his warm shoulder had taken the chill out of it.

She smiled as she sat up and warmed her hands in front of the heater before she turned to him. Her warmed palms cupped his face as she brushed her lips over his. His face and lips were cold, just as she thought. She kept her hands on his cheeks as she tilted her head before sealing her lips against his. Her tongue explored his mouth as his met hers. The kiss warmed them both quickly as she felt his embrace tighten around her. His face felt warm in her hands, so she brought her hands down and her arms encircled his neck. She pulled back to see his eyes were still closed as he moved toward her. They gave each other small kisses before he pulled away.

He knew that even though he wanted to continue kissing her warm lips, their passionate kissing would take them to a place they should not go yet. _10 more months_, he reasoned within himself. He smiled at her as a new idea came into his mind. "Would you like to see your Christmas gift?" She squealed as she jumped up and pulled him out of the chair. "I suppose that would mean 'yes.'"

She followed him to the wine cellar, where they had gone during the tour. She noticed the barrel that was there before no longer sat in that place. He led her down the racks where they kept the bottles of the different wines. She caught the sneaky smile that played on his lips as he selected a dark bottle with a label she did not remember seeing before. He handed it to her as she gave him a questioning look. She read the label and her breath caught in her throat- the label was white with large black scrolling letters reading _Saya's Blush._ The background of the label was what made her misty eyed. In gold sweeping letters every love phrase that he had spoken to her was placed on that label. She recognized it was in his handwriting. She read them all- _I have always loved you. From the first day we met I had lost all hope, but you filled my lonely days with happiness and comfort. She is my reason for being. You are special to me. You are the only woman I have ever loved. I want to protect you from harm, keep you safe from all your fears, and to hold you for eternity. Nankurunaisa. I will always love you, Saya. _

"Hagi," she breathed as she looked into his eyes, "this is beautiful."

"I began my own attempt to create a blush wine 2 years ago," he explained. "I thought I would have 20 more years to perfect it." He looked away, hoping she didn't notice the concern he held in his eyes. He had worked very hard on this recipe and thought he had more time to perfect it, but she had been awakened early and he had fallen ill for a time. He had tried the batch from last year and offered some to Dan. It had turned out well, but they knew that it was necessary to let the wine rest in the bottle for a year. The newest batch was starting it's rest time.

She saw the concern in his eyes and thought about pulling him close and kissing those concerns away, but she began to shiver in the cold air. She felt his arms wrap around her. She smiled as an idea came to her. "Hagi, let's go back to the main house and curl up by the fire," she suggested. Her eyebrow raised as his eyes met hers, "We could get something to snack on while we try your wine."

He smiled at her as he turned her and guided her out of the winery. She smiled after he locked the door, but a shiver emitted from her in the cold night air. A surprise yelp came from her as he lifted her in his arms and leapt to the main house, arriving there in a blink. She knew he was concerned about her. The weather was below freezing and the wind had picked up since their walk began. He unlocked the door and carried her inside as she clung to his neck, enjoying the warmth of his chest. He set her down and watched as she ran into her room, leaving the bottle on the table beside him.

He went into the kitchen to prepare some food for Saya, knowing that he was going to have to be hand fed as well. She insisted that he try whatever it was she was eating at the time. He remembered one teasing incident where Marva had made fish and wild rice with steamed broccoli. Saya made certain to find the biggest piece of the green vegetable and offer it to him with a knowing smirk on her face. Marva and Claudia both were astonished when the tall man refused to try what was offered. He usually indulged in Saya's whims to feed him until Marva warned her that she may cause him to burst. Saya laughed as she explained that Hagi hated broccoli and recalled the days at the Zoo when it was served at dinner and even when he was an adult he'd try to sneak it into his handkerchief to feed to Joel's hunting dogs after dinner. She would laugh at how the man's face would sneer at the mere mention of the vegetable. He searched through the crisper drawer to see if there were any items his queen may like when he caught sight of something familiar and green. He sneered as he closed the drawer and turned to his prep work.

He entered the living room with a tray of various foods to find Saya had stretched out a blanket in front of the fire and had already put her jacket away. She was curled up in the blue comforter from the bed as she gazed into the warm orange glow of the fire. He placed the tray on the table and removed his jacket and shoes. He came to her side with the tray and bottle of wine. She took the empty glasses from him so he could set everything down.

She watched as he twisted the corkscrew into the stopper and with a "pop" the bottle was opened. She sniffed the cork as he poured the blush colored wine into glasses. "I smell blackberries, something smoky, and… roses?" she guessed.

He smiled at her as he handed her a glass. "Yes, I wanted the wine to remind you of our happy times at the Zoo and here at the ranch," he informed as she tasted the wine.

Her eyes sparkled as she commented, "The smokiness is a bit stronger than in the red wine. You can tell you used the same wood Jim uses when he smokes meat. What did he call it… mesquite? Right?"

He nodded and then playfully warned her, "That is the secret ingredient, but you must never tell."

She laughed and then commented, "How did you get it to smell like roses?"

He placed a couple of pink rose petals in her hand, but they were solidified somehow. She lifted one to the light and turned to him, "What is this?" It smells like a rose petals mixed with sugar.

"They are called crystallized rose petals. I have the woman that makes them grind them into a powder and add it to the wine," he explained.

"Hagi, you are so clever," she nudged him and then tasted the confection. It was very sweet and left you breathing in the scent of roses. It was odd to her to have something that stimulated her sense of smell and taste while evoking the memory of a young boy bringing her a pink rose from the gardens with a sullen look on his face. Then it was a teenage boy, wearing a wide grin. Finally, a man twirling a red one in his hand, donning a grey apron and his steel blue eyes sliding to where she stood- his face holding no expression. "Hagi," she questioned, "when did you realize you were in love with me?"

He almost choked as he had been sipping the wine when she asked him. He cleared his throat as he wondered how her train of thought ended up at this point. He looked up as he regained his composure and noticed she was looking at him with concern. He thought about it before answering, "I am not certain. I believe it was when I was 16."

Her eyes opened wide as she asked, "Really… that long ago?"

He smiled as he fed her a strawberry. "Yes, Saya."

She swallowed before she asked, but then thought better of it. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but knew that they simply weren't important. They were together now and worrying over what could have been was pointless. They had each other now. She slid over and curled into his embrace. She felt him kiss the top of her head as she took a bite of some of the cubes of cheese and a sip of the beautiful wine. The bottle sat nearby and she gazed at the label, the words he had written glittered in the firelight. She offered him a cube of cheese and felt him take it from her as his warm lips brushed her fingers. She smiled and said, "I love this gift. It tasted wonderful, smells amazing, and warms my heart with memories of our past and present. Her left hand found his as her back was to his chest. Their fingers intertwined, letting their rings meet.

He emptied his glass and rested his right arm around her waist, drawing her into his chest. He thought about taking the remnants of their snack to the kitchen and put it away, but he felt her growing heavy against his shoulder and knew she was dozing off.

It was 5 in the morning when he managed to slip away and put things up. He came into the living room to see her scowling in her sleep, her right hand gripped tightly in front of her as if she was holding her sword. She whimpered as she thrashed out. He hurried to her and pulled her into his embrace, in his lap and soothing her bangs out of her face with his hand. Her face relaxed as her hand opened. "Hagi," she sighed in her sleep as she pulled her arms around his neck. He smiled as he pulled the comforter over them and cuddled her closer to his chest.

Solomon had told him once that all he had to offer Saya was sadness, but every time she smiled or laughed, it was because she was happy with him. He found particular joy in the fact that he could soothe her nightmares away with just a touch from his hand. No matter where he was on the ranch, if he felt her pulse climb or hear her calling to him in her sleep, he would immediately show up and soothe her.

The pink of early morning filtered through the main window. He was leaning back against the front of the couch with his eyes shut. He face lay on his shoulder as her chest was pressed to his middle and the comforter was pulled over them to her shoulders.

"I hope you two are wearing clothes under there," Claudia commented as she came into the living room.

Saya was completely out, but Hagi opened his eyes and glared at his sister. "Keep your voice down," he whispered. He noticed the way they were positioned and added, "This is not what you are thinking, Sister."

"I know," she waved as she came over and helped by lifting Saya off him. Claudia had been surprised at how light such a strong woman could be. She would often help Hagi by dressing her for bed. Hagi would insist that it was no longer proper for him to do it. She noticed that he rose quickly and headed to the bathroom in the kitchen. She chuckled as she wondered if Saya noticed what she did to her poor brother. _How long has he been holding her like that? _She wondered. She began preparing Saya for bed.

She had finished and was headed out of the room when she nearly ran into him. She chuckled, "That was quick."

He glared at her as he walked past, not wanting to comment on what she thought he was doing. As he came to Saya's side to kiss her goodnight- or rather good morning, her arms wrapped around his neck and she gasped, "Hagi!" Her brows furrowed as she added, "Don't go."

Claudia smiled at how sweet it was, but that smile quickly turned to a frown as her brother pulled the sleeping woman's arms from his neck. She blocked the door so he couldn't escape. "Big Brother, don't you see she wants you to stay?"

"Claudia," he tried to reason, "I am not her husband, yet."

"Big Brother, just because you lay in the bed with someone, it doesn't mean you'll have sex." She stifled a laugh at his expression before she continued, "She would be thrilled when the first thing she opened her eyes to is you." She grinned wickedly and added, "Besides, I think you already took care of _any problem_ that should _arise."_

He sighed and shook his head. He hated to admit Claudia was right. Saya wanted him to stay and as much as he felt it was wrong, he wanted to stretch out next to her and watch her peacefully sleep in his embrace.

She turned him and gave him a light shove toward the bed. She informed, "I'll look in on Fury and make sure he's got food and water- fresh hay. Judging from the wine bottle in the fridge, you've been to the winery already. You can groom and ride Fury after Saya wakes up." She smiled as he settled into the bed and Saya curled into his arms, placing her head in the crook of his shoulder. With a sweet smile, Saya took a deep breath as her arm moved over his middle and his right came across to move her bangs from her face. Claudia backed out of the room as she saw his eyes close and a smile came across his lips.

Claudia was in the stables, feeding the beautiful red horse as she explained, "Hagi will be here in a while to take care of you, Fury. He and Saya seemed to have stayed up late last night."

She heard the squeals and laughter of the children as they headed to the main ranch house, followed by Kaori, Kai, Julia, holding their daughter, and David. She rushed to intercept them before they got to the house. She informed the adults that Saya was up late last night with Hagi and they shouldn't be disturbed. Kai looked completely shocked and almost commented before Kaori nudged him and groaned, "Kai, you know they didn't- so don't ask."

Claudia laughed and explained that they had stayed up late talking and drinking wine that he had made for her before they continued on and warned the kids to stay quiet inside and not disturb Aunt Saya.

Hagi looked at the clock by the bed, the numbers read 9:30. He debated on going to help Anna with the dishes as he heard everyone moving to the living room. Saya seemed to sense his thoughts and snuggled even closer, preventing any plans of departing from her. He smiled as he turned his head to kiss her forehead. He could stay a little longer.

Everyone was chatting as the children headed outside to play in what was left of the snow. Kai asked Claudia what she had seen this morning with Kaori keeping a watchful eye on the sneaky pair. She commented once about how she felt sorry for Hagi and Saya- they would have to contend with a meddling sister and brother.

Claudia informed them that she had went to the kitchen for a glass of cold water, when she came into the sweetest romantic scene. Hagi was relaxed against the sofa with Saya passed out against his chest with the glow of the fireplace warming them and his blue comforter draped over them.

Kai smiled and pulled Kaori close. He commented, "We should leave the kids with Saya and Hagi tonight and try that out ourselves."

Kaori smiled and responded, "You're not leaving our children to torture them. They need time alone together before they start dealing with children."

Kai informed her sadly, "Saya and Hagi can't have kids, Kaori."

She looked at him, "Oh, no. That's so sad. I've seen the way he cares for Becca and how the girls just adore him. He'd be such a great father."

"Yeah," Claudia commented, "they'd make some gorgeous kids together, too. What tears me apart is that he'll never admit to it, but he really wants to be a father. His eyes light up when he's around children, even if his face doesn't show it." She added quietly as her eyes directed to Kai, "You also know that they were warned of what would happen if they did."

He nodded as he tried to hide his anger_. How dare they threaten Hagi and Saya that they couldn't have children! Why would they threaten that anyway? _Kai wondered as he looked out the window. He thought he caught sight of Saya with a long flowing red dress and burgundy coat, but her hair was pulled into a high twist and her lips were painted red. He shook his head as he went back to the conversation. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.


	13. Chapter 13

"… 99… 100!" shouted Hibiki as she turned and began to scan the horizon as the sun moved to the center of the sky. She saw Joel sitting with Claudia on the back porch and continued to search with all her senses. She leapt into the air, leaving behind a blue streak that only her kind could see.

Claudia and Joel only saw the girl seem to mysteriously vanish. They continued their talk as the chiropterans played a very challenging game of hide and seek.

Hibiki easily found Kanade hiding in a tree near the main house. Since they were kinetically linked it was impossible for one to hide from the other. Aunt Saya was going to be much more of a challenge and she hoped Uncle Hagi hid with her since it would be nearly impossible to find him. He was able to hide in plain sight and now he could mask his presence as well.

Claudia knew where he was- anyone that had been on the ranch more than 10 years knew where he was. She smirked as she thought he was going to wait until the girls came close before he masked his presence and they'd think he had left.

"It is truly remarkable," Joel commented, startling Claudia from her train of thought. He noticed her look of confusion and added, "It is remarkable how time seems to move in such a leisurely pace here. A person could sit out here all day and just enjoy the world passing them by."

She hummed her agreement as she leaned back in the rocking chair, "No deadlines, no traffic, no screaming clients, and no constant phone calls. That is, unless you work here."

Joel gave a small laugh and agreed, "That's true." He noticed the girls glancing behind trees and buildings before vanishing, only to appear a moment later in another location. "It seems to agree with them, too."

She smiled and informed, "Wide open spaces for them to be able to get in touch with their abilities without worrying that someone might see. I think that's why my brother likes it here, too."

Joel thought about Hagi. He did seem to be much more relaxed here, but Joel thought it really had more to do with the people than the place. He asked, "I am sorry if I seem to be prying, but I couldn't help but wonder if Hagi has always been so open with you and your mother? He was always so distant when I met him, the other's think so, too."

"I don't mind you asking," she reassured and then looked at her hands. She answered, "I already told Julia about why he was that way with you all. He didn't trust the Red Shield because of what happened in Vietnam and even before that." She sighed sadly, "I think Vietnam was his breaking point. He told me once that he was being punished because he allowed the Red Shield to wake Saya up and ended up losing his arm. It hurt him more that she would face the guilt of what had happened. That's when Mom met him and it took a long time, but he eventually realized that we cared for him and only wanted to help him."

Joel nodded in understanding. It was the people _and_ the place. It was far from the Red Shield and the war. It was a tough existence, but they banded together out of love and acceptance-something the stoic man had only experienced with Saya. "I am glad he had someone to open up to," he said as he watched the girls come together as if they sensed something and headed off in the same direction- west.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ns~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stood at the ravine. There was no reason to hide to as he knew Hibiki and Kanade would find Saya long before they found him. They had started toward him, but then turned toward the stables. He smiled as he sensed Saya's movement toward the east where the high grasses made a perfect hiding place for deer and other game. The stream below him was running really low and he hoped it would rain soon. Facing another drought would not be good for the ranch or the winery- especially now that they had the new blush wine added to their inventory.

He took in a deep breath as he caught a familiar scent. His expression fell into a frown and he stilled himself- he knew that floral scent anywhere. The wind came out of the north so he began to move toward the ranch house. The knight was masking his presence and he had someone with him that had an earthy, yet delicate smell- like amber mixed with orchids. It was a regal female- one of the queens? The scent became stronger as he took to the sparse trees and then came down among the tall grasses without a sound. He was glad he wore his suit coat and brought the daggers with him. Looking out from the grasses into the clearing where the pair stood, he thought about going back to the house for his sword, but thought better of it when the pair began to move toward the ranch house. There was no way he would allow them to threaten his family.

Nathan and the Red Queen Samantha were headed toward the ranch house. He wanted to show her where The First Knight of the Warrior Queen spent their time with his human family as she requested of him. They were stopped in their tracks as a barrage of red jeweled daggers rained down in front of them. It was a warning that they were to move no further.

The pair looked up to see a man land in their path on one knee behind the line of glittering daggers. His ebony hair fell past his shoulders, covering his down turned face. His black suit had long tails that reached the ground. His sudden appearance visibly shook the queen while Nathan's expression held amusement. "The Black Knight," the Red Queen gasped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ns~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saya giggled as she had dodged the girls, yet again. She headed for the place she knew he was hiding. It took her an instant to find the ravine followed by a blue haze, but she was shocked when she arrived and found he wasn't there. The smell of roses remained but she knew he wasn't there. Her mouth formed an "H", but she thought better of it. His pulse had increased slightly and she could sense her chevalier was in danger. She looked to the north, following his presence when she felt a chill run through her as her mind registered the thought- sword.

It took her a second to arrive at the ranch house and open the cello case to find their sheathed katanas. As she left, Claudia called after her, "Saya, what's wrong?"

"Hagi is in danger," she responded and disappeared with a gust of wind.

Claudia rushed inside and found Kanade looking in Saya's room, no doubt following her trail. She informed her that Saya had left with her and Hagi's swords, taking off to the northwest end of the ranch. She called to Hibiki and found her sword as Claudia snapped on an arsenal of gold daggers. "What good can you be against a chiropteran?" Kanade asked.

"Your uncle taught me," she informed. "I think I can at least protect the family in case one of them gets by my Big Brother."

Hibiki gave a crooked smile as she came up and grabbed her katana, "I don't think anything can get past Uncle Hagi."

"Shouldn't you two tell your dad where you're going?" Claudia asked.

They both smirked, "That's what you're here for Aunt Claudia." With that, they were gone.

Claudia stood on the porch as she informed Joel of the situation as she wondered, _Aunt Claudia?_

~~~~~~~~~~~ns~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, please," Nathan waved flamboyantly, "It's just Queen Saya's Knight. He goes by the name Hagi."

Hagi looked up and responded, "You will go no further." He saw Nathan, looking the same as ever, but swallowed the lump in his throat as he regarded the queen that stood near him. She wore a crimson satin gown that flowed to her ankles and was covered by a long, maroon coat that ended at just above the hem of the dress. Her long black hair was pulled back into a twist, leaving two long strands to frame her face that looked exactly like Saya's.

The queen spoke as she moved toward him, "Are you the First Knight of the Warrior Queen Saya?"

He watched as the queen advanced despite his warning. In a blink, he was behind her, holding her fast with a transformed claw to her throat.

Nathan tried to pull him away, but he was already gone, taking the queen with him. He landed a few feet away as three daggers made their marks on Nathan's chest. He removed them and growled, "Release the Red Queen Samantha."

Hagi returned, "I will release her when you stop advancing on my family and my home."

The Red Queen growled her disapproval, "Release me, First Knight of the Warrior Queen. I have not threatened anyone."

Saya appeared behind him followed by her nieces. Hagi had his arm wrapped around someone in a red dress. She could only see long black hair and the satin of her long dress flowing in the breeze. "What's going on?"

He held on to the queen as she commanded Saya, "Have this rude knight release me at once!"

She signaled Hagi to release the queen. He reluctantly let her go and came to Saya's side as the queen turned to face them

She handed her chevalier his sword as she regarded the pair. She was only temporarily stunned by the twin queen that stood before her. A zing rang out through the air as she unsheathed her sword, signaling Hagi and the twins that they were to prepare for battle.

The Red Queen's eyes opened in surprise mixed with fear. She only wanted to observe, not face the legendary queen and her knight in battle! Her hand went up and she commanded, "Please, be still. I have not come in an act of war, but of peace. I do not wish to fight."

Saya stepped forward and responded, "If you truly came in peace, why didn't you come directly to us?"

"I simply wanted to observe- to see if it was really true that we can coexist with mankind," she explained.

"Then you should have come up and introduced yourselves," Saya scolded. "We feel like you're threatening our families when you come this close to us without a warning."

"Nathan masked us. How could you find us?" she asked Saya.

Hagi responded, "That does not matter. You have come too close…"

The Red Queen was dumbfounded at first at the knight's bold action. He had spoken without permission from his queen! "How dare you address me without your queen's approval!" she interrupted and looked the knight up and down. He was tall and quite handsome, but he still was a knight- even if he was the Black Knight.

Saya moved between them and stood toe to toe with the other Red Queen, the hilt of her katana gripped with white knuckles, and argued, "He doesn't _need_ my permission to address _anyone_- he's not a slave!" Her comment was emphasized as her eyes went from burgundy to brilliant red.

Nathan pulled the two queens apart and informed the Red Queen, "Saya and Hagi are not your ordinary chiropterans. They are paired by love and their bond is reinforced by blood."

She smiled and commented to Saya, "You set him free, didn't you?" Saya's eyes were still glowing red as she stood defensively. "He's like Nathan now- a rogue knight."

Hagi held back his feeling of being insulted as he responded, "I am nothing like Nathan."

"You belong to no queen, so you are a rogue knight," she shot back.

Saya came between them again and informed, "I gave him his freedom so that he would be my equal, not because I wanted to dismiss him. He is now my fiancé and my chevalier by _his_ choice. It is _his_ ring I wear, _his_ family I stay with, and soon it will be _his_ last name I take."

Nathan tried to reason with the angry warrior queen, "Saya, you need to understand that you are talking about love to a chiropteran."

Hagi placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately calmed down, her fiery eyes cooled down to their usual burgundy. He explained, "Saya, they don't believe love."

Her eyes shot open. She asked in disbelief, "H-how can you live without love?"

"How can you live with such a _human_ emotion?" the queen returned.

Nathan placed a hand on the queen's shoulder and commented, "Silly me, I should have introduced you when we said hello. I guess I'll just have to do it as we say goodbye instead. This is the Red Seer Queen Samantha. We will be staying in Hollywood for the next year if you want to look me up. Our dear queen wants to explore the human world." They vanished in a blue haze and gust of wind as a small white business card floated down to the ground.

Saya picked it up and growled, "Nathan."

Saya took his katana and handed both of them to the twins, telling them to take them back with them and her and Hagi were going for a walk. The twins hurried back to tell their dad that they had seen other chiropterans and helped defend the ranch while Hagi and Saya walked back hand in hand. The danger was gone and they were both coming down from the adrenaline rush.

Saya asked, "I've been wondering where you got a katana from?"

He smiled at the memory and answered, "Claudia gave it to me as a birthday gift."

Saya nodded in understanding. He wanted to do something as he still felt that there wasn't enough fight for him. His wings were itching for a workout. He smiled as he suddenly grabbed Saya and lifted her into his arms. He heard her squeak with surprise as a gust of wind pulled them up into the air.

She watched his dark wings beat the air, pulling them higher into the grey skies above them. She was thrilled as he picked up speed and asked, "Where would you like to go, Saya?"

He felt her snuggle into his arms as she responded, "Anywhere you'd like to go." He smiled as he felt her humming her approval into his shoulder. Feeling a bit frisky, he dove toward the ground below, causing her to look at him nervously and scream his name before he beat his wings and pulled them out of the dive, flying parallel to the grassland below them. She reached out and ran along the grasses as they soared by. She giggled as she gave him a devilish look, "Do it again!"

He soared higher and higher, until the ground seemed very far away. She could see entire fields next to each other like a green patchwork quilt. He pulled his wings in and they began to fall, she screamed with a wide grin and began to laugh. She noticed that he was laughing, too. He stretched his wings out and caught an updraft that leveled them off and then brought them back up. They were both still laughing and their cheeks were red from the excitement and the force of the wind.

"Hagi, we really should do this more often," she suggested as she snuggled against him, rubbing her nose against his neck.

He smiled and responded, "Whenever you want to do this again, all you need to do is ask."

Hagi continued on through the skies, catching a trade wind that carried them south. He knew it would be a long flight back, but he was feeling a bit too relaxed lately and needed something spontaneous. She had dozed off for a while when the smell of salt filled her nostrils and a warm breeze brushed her face. The squawk of seabirds filled the air and she opened her eyes to find she was relaxing in his arms as he sat on a stone step in front of the ocean. She gave him a beautiful smile before she stretched and moved out of his embrace.

He laughed as she kicked off her boots and socks while she rolled her pants up. She removed her coat and ran to the water's edge. Hagi followed, picking up the trail of clothes left behind. She tentatively dipped a toe in the water as it rushed to her. Feeling the water was comfortable, she waded in to the middle of her calves. "Saya," Hagi warned, "don't get your pants wet. It will be cold on our way back to the ranch."

Saya seemed to ignore him and asked a question, "Hagi, why is the water warm here- even in winter?"

"This is The Gulf of Mexico. It is a warm body of water so it stays warm through the summer and winter. The weather doesn't get as cold this far south, either."

She turned to him with a wide grin that showed her white teeth. He was holding her discarded clothing in his arms as the sea breeze blew the errant waves of hair from his alabaster face. The small smile that he gave her was breathtaking- he was breathtaking!

He noticed that the smile had left her face as she came toward him. The thought of asking her what was wrong crossed his mind, but the answer came as she grabbed his open collar and pulled him down to her. Her mouth pressed against his.

His arms went around her and pulled her closer. She suddenly pulled away and quickly said, "Thanks for taking me to the beach, Hagi." She ran to the water's edge, leaving him speechless and wondering just what had happened. He smiled as he watched her standing in the water and letting the surf splash against her feet. He could hear her wish out loud that she could have at least had a pair of shorts with her.

The sun was setting when they walked to the concrete wall and stairs. She smelled the fresh seafood from a nearby restaurant and flashed him a pleading look. She knew he wouldn't say no to her and her rumbling stomach.

As usual, Saya offered pieces of fried fish, shrimp, french fries, and any other item she could. He stopped her after a short time teasing that if she didn't stop feeding him, he would not be able to fly back.

She swallowed before she asked, "Shouldn't we go after Nathan and that queen- Samantha, right?"

He nodded, but then added, "I think it would be best to wait. There are still others that are watching us."

She nodded as she took a bite of what she thought was a fried biscuit. Momentarily, she wondered at its texture before she admitted, "I faw one of 'em. I ould fenfe ee uz oung…" she swallowed and continued, "…maybe a new chevalier."

"Sa-ya," he scolded as she rolled her eyes. He wondered when she would learn not to speak with a mouth full of food. He asked, "Did he have short brown hair and wore a modern blue suit?" She nodded as she chewed another mouthful of food. "He is the knight of a queen they call Samiyah. I believe it is her sister that we met today."

She swallowed before asking, "So why haven't they come to introduce themselves? It would have been nice to know we weren't the only chiropterans in the world."

"They claim that they did not know of our existence until the Zoo burned down," he explained and then sipped his tea.

"Then why did they wait until after Diva and Cinque Fleche did so much damage? If they would have been here…" Saya was beginning to get upset.

Hagi stilled her by taking her hands in his and looking into her eyes. They were becoming a dull brown, indicating her sadness. He understood that she felt Diva could have been saved from death if these other chiropterans explained things to her. She didn't understand. "They did not want to interfere and have the existence of chiropterans become a public affair," he reasoned. He then added, "The First Knight told me that all queens fight to the death when they reach 50 years of age- it is in their blood."

Saya blinked and then placed her fork down. "So nothing could be changed. Diva had to die so that I could live."

"Saya," he began as she stood and excused herself. He watched her head for the restroom as he gave a sigh.

The flight back to the ranch was quiet. She could sense that he was blaming himself for her mood. She curled her finger in one of his loose strands of hair. It was a long while before she finally spoke, "I'm not mad at you. It just makes me sad to think that there was nothing we could have done."

He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. He didn't say to her how sad he was over the whole situation- he knew she already knew.

They walked into the main house arm in arm to an angry Kai. Marva was shaking her head as the red haired man scolded Saya for not telling them she was going somewhere and then Hagi about how he should know better than to make everyone worry over them. Saya handed him a bag of her leftover dinner and told him to try the biscuits.

Hagi chuckled as he watched Kai open the bag and find the "biscuits" Saya was referring to as she turned to her room. He asked, "What the hell is this? It doesn't taste like a biscuit at all."

Marva looked at the rounded pieces and laughed, "Those are hush puppies."

Kai blinked and then asked, "Why do they call it that?"

Saya turned around, her curiosity piqued as Marva explained, "During the Civil War, the confederate soldiers would toss balls of deep fried corn bread to the dogs in order to keep them quiet and command, "Hush, puppies!" That's how they got their name."

Saya giggled as she took one from Kai and took off to her room. He called after her, "Hey, you gave those to me- you're not supposed to just take them back!"

Hagi followed her, hoping that she had shaken her somber mood.

Marva noticed that the pair seemed rather quiet when they arrived and Hagi's look was a bit downcast. She hoped that the incident earlier today hadn't upset them. She was a bit alarmed when the twins informed them that another queen and chevalier were near the main ranch house. When Hagi and Saya disappeared, it made everyone nervous that something bad had happened. She was relieved when they came through the door unharmed.

He heard the water running in the bathroom and noticed her clothes were sitting on the floor near the bed. He picked them up and began toward the laundry room, leaving her to her hot bath.


	14. Chapter 14

"Saya," Hagi warned as she moved her bishop, "that move will leave your king exposed and I will be able to put you in check again with my knight."

She huffed as she slouched and placed the bishop where it was before and considered the board again. They had been playing chess for the past couple of days and Saya was frustrated with the rain for keeping her inside and this game for making her head hurt. Hagi explained that it would help her to better understand battle strategies. She was not really a general that knew how to plot and plan or command a multitude of soldiers- she was one queen with a chevalier that knew how to work around each other really well. She knew that if there was to be a new war, she would need all the comrades she could get, and she would need to be able to command them all.

She sighed as she considered moving the queen instead, but his knight- it was always in the way! It was like that as far back as she could remember. She had watched her tall companion play a very intense game with the first Joel that ended with Hagi finally putting the aging man in checkmate using only his knight and queen.

She had only seen Kai and Hibiki ever actually pose a challenge to her chevalier. Kai thought like a general- if it weren't for his leadership on Christina Island, she would have easily lost to James Ironside. Huffing again she commented, "I wish Kai were here to help me."

Hagi looked up from the board and scolded, "Saya, you need to concentrate on the pieces in front of you and what their strengths and weaknesses are."

She huffed again and gave off a groan of frustration as she moved her queen forward and caught his steel blue gaze, "Check."

He moved his second knight to take her queen, causing her to emit another groan again and instructed, "You should watch where my pieces are before you make your moves."

Claudia came up to the pair as Saya blew her bangs out of her face as she moved her rook to take one of Hagi's pawns. Hagi shook his head and tapped the top of his queen as a warning to her, which she immediately pulled her rook back and instead sacrificed a pawn to defend her king. Claudia didn't really play this game much, but she did know that from the way the game looked, Saya was only prolonging the inevitable. She cleared her throat and informed the pair, "Anna says lunch is ready."

Hagi nodded, but did not look away from the board, while Saya practically jumped up. Hagi reluctantly rose from the table and followed the two women to the dining room. Claudia was going back to New York today. She had finished Saya's wedding gown and would return in September to put the finishing touches on the ceremony and reception. Hagi smiled as he remembered the small arrangement he had seen at the florist shop. It was a sample of what Saya and Claudia had arranged. The piece was done in blush pink and wine colored roses with small navy ribbons trailing. It made him curious about the gown Claudia made for Saya- he was still not allowed to see it and warned that it was bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding day. Luck was such an irrational thing to a chevalier turned in the very beginning of a century long war. Hagi believed in what you can do with your own two hands and a bit of practical application, the imagination conjured too many fairy tales and daydreams. He did enjoy occasionally letting his imagination free, but believing in luck and other superstitions was just irrational to him. But Saya was cautious- she didn't want to upset any taboo that may ruin their happiness.

He groomed Fury that afternoon as Saya and Claudia left on one last shopping adventure. The day was still grey and gloomy as the sky lazily dropped a mist of rain, muddying the practice arena and overfilling the ponds. He gave a small smile and thought, _Well, I wanted it to rain so we would not face another drought, but I think we may now face a flood._

"Perfect baby-making weather," Eric commented as he looked out at the rain soaked path. Hagi looked up from his grooming and wondered at the comment as he had never heard of it before. Eric caught the expressionless look and asked, "Why did you stay behind? You follow Saya everywhere, but this time you stayed behind."

Hagi continued grooming and answered, "I felt that Claudia and Saya would like to spend some time together."

The dark haired man nodded as he sighed. He added, "Well, there's not much else you can do in this weather, other than stay indoors and spend time with your honey." The young man winked and then went off toward the main house, pulling on a poncho before closing the door behind him. Hagi thought about Eric heading to the main house, no doubt to spend a little time with Maria before she began her rounds of cleaning.

_Click_- Perfect baby-making weather… not much else to do. Hagi laughed as color came to his cheeks- it took him a while, didn't it? "So that was what he meant by that comment," Hagi realized out loud. Fury gave a soft nicker as he didn't care about the conversation, just the caring hands of his master and the apple that was sure to be offered soon.

Saya browsed a rack of clothes as she called Kai and they talked about all the exciting things going on in their lives. "How are you guys doing?" she asked.

"You know that Joel's lawyers finally fought with Amshel's estate long enough to have the remaining funds and the rest of Cinq Fleche's money for the girls?"

"Really, Kai? That's great for them. They could go to university or get their own homes once they graduate," Saya smiled.

"Kaori and I get money from the estate for their upkeep, too," he informed. "Hagi doesn't need to send us anything anymore."

She held up a baby blue cotton sundress adorned with blush pink rosettes and a wine colored ribbon that wrapped around the waist. It came just below the knee on her. She draped it over her arm and responded, "Kai, you know Hagi will send you money for the girls- even if you were a millionaire. He wants to know he's had some part in raising them."

Kai cleared his throat and commented airily, "Yeah." It was a moment before he continued, "I really wish he would've opened up more during the war. I couldn't relate to him- he seemed so cold and all. He really is a great guy."

She smiled and responded, "He is." Deciding to change the subject, she commented, "You know in two weeks Hagi will be playing with Angie's band in Las Vegas?"

"So they got the gig?" Kai replied. "Oh, that's great for them. It'll be awesome- Hagi's song to you will be heard by a bunch of people now!"

"Yeah," she commented as she found a pale pink cardigan with a blue rose embroidered on the right hand side. She hung it back on the rack and added, "The blush wine he made is now pretty popular, too. Dan sells it for double the price of the other wines because there's not much of it."

She heard Kaori come in as Kai informed her what was going on so far. With a sudden squeal and a bit of static, Kaori had taken the phone away. "Guess what, Saya? It's another boy! We plan on naming him Riku- isn't it great?"

Saya giggled as she picked up a wine colored satin gown. The dress was long, touching the floor, with a slit that went up the length of the leg to mid- thigh. It had rhinestone straps and a cream colored fur wrap. It wasn't her usual style, but she wondered what Hagi would think of her in it. She thought to ask Claudia to close the slit a bit more, but was shaken from her thoughts as Kaori asked if she was listening. "Sorry, Kaori," she shook her head while she tried to focus on what Kaori had said.

She heard Kaori was moving as she asked in a hushed tone, "What's going on? You seem like you're thinking or something."

She sighed as she looked around the shop to be sure she was alone. She responded, "I miss Hagi being in the room with me when I sleep, but he says that we have to be married. Hagi won't budge. I mean, we've been together for such a long time and it seems so weird that he can't even watch over me while I sleep. It's calming to have him in the room with me."

"You know, he probably thinks you want to take it to the next level," Kaori suggested.

Saya blushed madly and whispered her admission, "I kinda do want to, even though I'm scared."

"He wouldn't push you any further than you're willing to go- you've told me that before, Saya." Kaori was silent as someone passed by and she headed into the restroom and locked the door. She continued, "You should really talk to him about this, Saya. I mean, he's admitted to being in love with you all this time- I can't imagine it's been easy for him. He's probably just as eager to be with you… maybe even more. You can't know until you talk with him."

She sighed, "Every time I try, I just get nervous and fumble with my words and it just comes out, 'I love you' and I don't know how I'm gonna say what I mean."

Kaori laughed, "Saya, calm down. It's just Hagi. You've known him forever." She waited a moment and then suggested, "Why don't you just move the wedding date up? It seems kinda far off."

"Yeah," she said as she tried on a pair of 4 inch cream colored heels that fastened with a pair of straps around the ankle. "I could suggest it but I think Claudia will say that we need the time to prepare."

Kaori giggled, "You're going to Vegas in a couple of weeks, right? You know that American saying- 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!'"

Saya laughed, "Oh stop, Kaori! Hagi would never fall for that line!"

"Fall for what line?" a voice asked from behind her.

She whipped around to see Claudia was there. Her face flushed crimson as she told Kaori, "Uh, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." She ended the call and stuffed her phone into her pocket, wishing she would've paid closer attention to her surroundings. She attempted to change the subject and showed her the wine colored gown and requested, "I really like it, but I think the slit goes a bit too high. Do you think you could do a quick alteration for me?"

Claudia's eyes lit up and she cooed, "Ooo, are you planning on wearing this to the club in Vegas? I _have_ to see you in it! If you wear this, my brother's eyes are gonna pop out of his head!" She turned and practically dragged Saya to the fitting rooms as Saya sighed with relief- that was a close one!

Hagi walked to the main house and thought about heading for the kitchen to help with dinner. Marva stopped him and informed, "Angie called and wanted you to know that they are wearing blue and wanted to know if you had anything you could wear that color."

"I will purchase a suit tomorrow," he responded as he hung his rain coat on the rocking chair on the porch to drip dry. His shoes were quite muddy and he decided to remove them and just move around the house in his socks. He noticed another pair of boots already placed neatly by the door. Eric had already made his way over to see Maria. Hagi had noticed the pair had become quite close and he had even seen them kissing a few days ago. He had turned away, politely, but not before he saw the way Eric's hand wondered to her backside and pressed her against him.

It only seemed to fuel those daydreams he had been having about Saya lately. It wasn't like he'd never seen something like that before, he'd seen far worse in books that were in Amshel's study when he was a teenager at the Zoo. During the war, he'd follow chiropterans into some of the worst places to accidentally happen upon a lady of the night with her john, neither having any shame. But lately, his thoughts would be filled with heated kisses and passionate caresses. Why couldn't he control his thoughts?

Marva noticed the troubled look in his eyes and asked, "Hagi, what is it? You look like something's bugging you."

He had to talk to someone and he trusted Marva more than anyone except Saya, but he couldn't talk to Saya about this. "Could I speak to you in private, Mom?" he asked.

Marva led him to her room and they sat on the edge of the bed. She noticed he kept his eyes to the floor- he's ashamed. He was slouching a bit- the problem was weighing him down. He took a breath before he began to make his apologies, "Mom, I would prefer to talk to a man about this, but I do not trust them. Th-they do not understand me anyway."

She waved her hand in the air and responded, "You don't need to apologize. I know it can be embarrassing talking to a woman about your problems. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, just let me know."

His eyes stayed glued to the floor as his hands went between his knees. He informed, "I already feel uncomfortable."

She reassured, "I know you do. Why don't you just talk about something that will make you feel comfortable and work your way to the point."

He shook his head. It was better to take the direct approach. He took a deep breath and admitted, "I cannot stop where my thoughts are going lately."

She nodded and waited. When she noticed he wasn't going to continue, she asked, "What do you mean?"

One word gave her all that she needed to know and it was the one word he spoke, "Saya."

Marva looked at him, at first with surprise and then with sympathy. He had waited over a century for her to love him the way he loved her. Now that she confessed her love for him, his imagination was getting the better of him.

"How do I fight this?" he asked.

"Try to focus your mind on something else," she suggested.

"I have tried, but my mind seems to shut down."

Marva took a breath and responded, "You have been fighting this for so long now, Hagi- and you have done an amazing job waiting for her. Don't give up now when you're so close. It's only 6 months." She noticed the look on his face and added, "If you need to move the wedding date up a few months, it's okay. Just talk to Saya. You know, she might be having the same problem."

"I know she is. She has asked me before, but we must wait," he insisted. He then admitted, "It is difficult in another way because I have always watched over her while she sleeps. I have learned recently that with one touch, I can calm her when she has a nightmare. You cannot imagine how happy that makes me. I always thought that Solomon was right- I could only offer her memories of war and loss. He was wrong- _I _was wrong. I _do_ make her smile, but I cannot stay with her and keep her dreams peaceful."

She was astounded by his admission. He was never so open with his feelings before. She felt thrilled and sad for him all at the same time. She smiled at him and commented, "Well son, I have to say that I am happy that you realized how much power your love has. I know it's hard for you to talk about your feelings, but you really should let Saya know."

He took a breath and shook his head, eyes closed. "I will just get embarrassed and fumble with words."

"Would you like me to talk with her?" she suggested.

He immediately answered, "No." He actually looked at her, eyes wide. That would be so embarrassing- he didn't even want to imagine it.

"Hagi," Marva insisted, "please, just talk to her like you're talking with me. You've known each other forever, you should be able to talk to her by now."

"We usually do not need words," he informed. "I can usually sense her thoughts as she senses mine."

Marva thought about it a minute before responding, "You know, if you can sense each others thoughts, could it be possible that you are both feeling the same thing and think it's your own thought?"

He considered it. The idea was possible, but then why hadn't he thought of this before.

"Look,"Marva finally spoke, "the fact remains that you two are going through this because you both want the same thing, but there's somehow been a breakdown in communication. You need to talk with your mouths- not your thoughts at this point."

He nodded and looked down once again. Marva always gave him such good advice. At times he'd wonder what might have happened during the war if he'd have followed her and Jeff's advice right away. Would things be different now? He placed his hand over hers and said, "Thank you, Mom. I really do not know what I would have done without you and Claudia."

She looked him in the eyes and responded, "I would hope that you would've eventually confessed to her anyway."

He rose from the bed an thought of how he was before he met Marva and Jeff. He thought of how hopeless the situation had seemed. Saya had started out her life happy and carefree, then thrust into a war where she was only viewed as a weapon- to be pulled out and put away as needed without a care for her human side at all. Vietnam had changed him, not just by losing his human arm, but because he saw Saya the way they had- a weapon of destruction. He truly had lost all hope. When he came back to her, he had viewed Marva's family as a peaceful distraction from the hell that was his life, but he caught glimpses of the old Saya. The Saya he fell in love with smiled and joked. She was caring and feeling. Without Marva and Claudia, he would never have noticed anything but war and destruction. He would have killed his beloved Saya because she wished it- just like a chevalier is supposed to. How desolate his life would have been! He admitted sadly, "No, you know what would have happened, Mom. I owe you, Jeff, and Claudia more than I could ever repay."

She gave him a stern look and scolded, "Don't you say that! You're my son. You don't owe me anything for looking out for you. We are just so grateful that you and Saya are alive and well. We can see you both make each other smile. We don't need you to repay anything. Family is there for each other, Hagi. We are a family."

He smiled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek, "You're the best, Mom."

She laughed, "Claudia always tells me that."

He laughed in response, "I cannot help it if she's right."

When Saya and Claudia arrived home, they went straight to Claudia's room. He could hear the pair chatting away as her sewing machine started up. He wondered what they were up to since he knew the wedding gown was finished. Claudia had informed him that she would be locking her room so he couldn't get a peek at the dress. She had even gone so far as to put a security measure in place that he was still unfamiliar with. He used to sneak into her room when she was gone by picking the lock, mostly as a prank. The weird thing was that when she got back, she'd throw a fit, knowing he'd been in her room. He wondered how she did it?

Saya watched as Claudia brought the hem of the dress up an inch. Saya found it was a bit long, even in the four inch heels, but Claudia talked her out of closing the slit more. She imagined what Hagi would think when he saw her in the revealing gown. She also had the straps pulled up since she felt the dress was too low in the front.

Saya tried the dress on again, turning so Claudia could be certain there was nothing else that needed to be done. Claudia gave a knowing smile as she commented, "I feel so bad for my brother. He's gonna lose it when he sees you in this."

She blushed as she considered, "Maybe I should wear something else- I-I don't want to…"

"Why? You already drive him crazy on a daily basis. Can't you see it?" Claudia asked.

"I just want him to let go. I want him to understand that he doesn't have to hold back anything anymore," Saya told her.

"You know, Saya," Claudia admitted, "Hagi's not going to give in like that. You could walk up to him without a stitch of clothing on and he would still wriggle his way out. He's not going to do anything until you guys are married. I should have said something before, but I thought he would have given in the time you begged him to sleep in the bed with you. I know now that he's not going to give in and you'll only hurt him by enticing him like this."

Saya nodded and commented, "Maybe you could close up the slit to the knee."

As Claudia worked on the dress, Saya thumbed a magazine and noticed how little the models wore and wondered how he could have resisted all these years with images like that floating around everywhere. She remembered an incident when they were back at the Zoo, looking through those books in Amshel's study. A pocket sized sketch of a woman fell out of the book and landed on the floor. She was wearing a brightly colored outfit that was off the shoulders and the skirt was hiked above the knee, she had wavy ebony hair and green eyes. Saya gasped as she noticed the woman's face looked very familiar. Hagi immediately left the room without a word and when Saya went to his room, she found the door locked. He was on the other side and when she called for him, he simply answered, "Please, just leave me alone." She could hear sadness in his voice and wondered what the cause was.

"Claudia," Saya asked, "has Hagi ever told you anything about his childhood?" She had come to realize that Hagi seemed to confide in his sister a lot. She could sense that he identified with her in some way and wondered if the mysterious man had given Claudia any information. Whenever anyone asked him about his life before the Zoo he would tell them he did not remember much, but she knew from the way his eyes shifted from the person he was addressing, it was a lie.

"He talks about you a lot," she laughed but then she caught the look on Saya's face. "He told me once that his parents were gypsies and they moved around a lot. He didn't have much except a set of dirty clothes that were falling apart- not even a pair of shoes. His father was an abusive drunk that claimed Hagi was not his son. He looked more like his mother. He doesn't talk about her, though. I think she may have been a prostitute since no one was really sure who his father was." Claudia tried to lighten the mood as she added, "But his past certainly has made him a phenomenal pick-pocket and he can pick a lock in less than a second."

Saya laughed out at the comment and remembered him trying to figure out how Claudia could discover that he had been in her room. She asked as Claudia held up a finger and went to the door. She leaned her ear to it and moved down the length until she came to the middle and gave a sharp knock to the point and shouted, "Quit eavesdropping, Jim." She waited until the footsteps were gone. She informed Saya, "He sometimes listens in so he can have something to tell my mom- he should just tell her already! What does he need, a written invitation?"

Saya gave her a questioning look and asked, "Marva… and Jim?"

Claudia laughed, "Yeah, he's been crazy about Mom forever- Hagi knows, too, but he won't open his fool mouth." She then added, "I think he's been taking advice from Hagi- sorry."

Saya laughed and commented, "At least Hagi finally said something, maybe Jim will, too."

As Claudia left that night, she whispered to Saya, "Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. If you guys decide you can't wait- they do perform weddings there."

Saya was speechless, was Claudia suggesting what she thought?


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Okay- sorry, yeah! I know I'm about to put up 2 chapters back to back, but I was actually working on 14, 15, and 16 at the same time. I'm still tweaking Chapter 16- it is only the second time I've written a lemon and I want it to be as perfect as possible- especially for my favorite couple. Here's 15 though, it's finished and full of new info and new mystery, too. Please enjoy! Chapter 16 ends Part 4 so be on the lookout for Part 5 everybody!  
**

"What do you mean 'you don't have any more doubles?'" Angie asked the concierge as more couples piled in behind them. "My last band member is coming and we booked his room to have two twin beds."

"Ms. Smith, I have explained that a mistake was made and we are upgrading his room to a suite with a garden tub. I am sorry, but that is all I can do at this point. As you can see we are quite busy and all the hotels are booked solid for the next week," the balding man explained apologetically.

She huffed as she grabbed her guitar and headed for the elevators followed by her band members. She could always let Saya stay in her room and Hagi could take on of the guys in his room- if he wanted to. She'd figure something out.

Hagi pulled up to the crowded hotel and shook Saya awake. He had to laugh at how she seemed to fall fast asleep every time she got into a car. He let her out and a bellboy came up to their car, apologizing profusely as he began to take their luggage. Saya and Hagi shared a confused look as they headed to the room Angie had arranged.

They came to the room and Angie rushed to them, she hugged Hagi and Saya and began to sputter out, "I am so so sorry, you guys. They made a mistake and this room is a suite with a king size bed. If you want, Saya can stay in my room and one of the guys can room with you, Hagi."

Hagi began to open his mouth, but Saya interrupted, "Its fine, Angie. Hagi and I have stayed in the same room before- it's no big deal."

He held his surprised expression back as he thought, "_We are not married. This is not appropriate."_

"_Hagi, it's a king size bed. You take one end I take the other,"_ she responded with her thoughts. _"Let's just make the most of it."_

"I'm really sorry for the mix-up," she restated. "Did you bring your blue suit?"

"Yes, it is in the garment bag," he responded.

They unpacked and Saya checked out the restroom and this huge bathtub. It seemed more like a swimming pool than a tub. She shook off the image of him caressing her as they lounged in the huge tub. Returning to the room, she found him sitting in the chair, tuning the cello. "You unpacked already?"

He nodded and returned to the cello. It relaxed him when he played- he really needed to relax now. He knew that for the next week he would be doing a lot of walking at night. He certainly couldn't stay in this room with her, not with his thoughts spinning out of control the way they had been. He stopped to wax the bow when he noticed she was unpacking her items, one of them was a wine colored satin gown. The cut of the gown was not something she'd normally wear and he wondered how she looked in it.

The first note rang through the room in a beautiful resonating tone. Each note in succession brought his thoughts into the music. He liked this realm of consciousness where only the music existed and he could just let his cares melt away. Her wanted to relax before the band would play tonight. It was the first time they would play out of state. The club owner knew them from Texas and thought it would be nice to have them play in Vegas at his club. The owner had paid them well and provided the rooms as well.

The song continued as Saya noticed how his eyes were shut and his body swayed. He was lost in the music again. She would not disturb him- after all, he needed a moment of calm right now. She sat on the edge of the bed and listened to the song. He didn't realize that since they had their 'talk', as their confidantes had suggested, she now was able to command her attention to his thoughts. She realized that he was struggling far more than she thought he was. His stoic expression hid everything too well. Inside him was storm of thoughts, swirling and twisting. He wanted her, he wanted to just watch over her, honor, respect, Joel, right, wrong. She wondered how he kept from going mad from it all. She waited until the song was done before she spoke, "Hagi, I'm sorry for trying to tempt you. I know that you only want to do what's right."

"It is fine, I can control those feelings," he responded, but his eyes were on the strings of the cello and not her.

She came over to him and came down to one knee on the floor in front of him so she could look up into his steel blue eyes. It seemed strange to him that she was prostrate on the floor before him when it should be the other way around. She nearly whispered, "Hagi, you have been through so much because you acted as my shield. You took on all the emotions as well as all the physical attacks- you shouldn't have to suffer anymore, but you are."

He leaned the cello against the table next to him and he came down to the floor in front of her. He responded, "Saya, please get up. Truly, it is not as bad as you seem to think…"

She saw how his eyes slid to the side- liar! "Yes it is," she retorted. "I can see it in your eyes and feel it in your thoughts. It's not just about getting married and sex. There's something more that even you won't admit to yourself. It's been eating away at you since you rescued me from Solomon's penthouse. He told you that all you could offer me was sadness."

"How did you know?" he asked with eyes widened with surprise. He and Solomon were on a completely different building when Solomon spoke those words.

"I don't know how it happened, but after our talk, I went outside and I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It looked like a woman with long wavy hair- like yours only longer and with grey streaks. She was dancing and I suddenly heard her say, 'He won't speak what needs to be said.' Suddenly, I could hear your thoughts."

He blinked as he asked, "Her hair was long and her eyes were green. She wears a black vest instead of a corset because her age and tuberculosis made it hard for her to breathe." Now she was surprised. He continued as a tear left his eye, "She was young when I was born and she made it her purpose in life to prove to me that I was not some worthless bastard child that didn't deserve to live. Her visits made my days more bearable until she died on my birthday when I was 9-years-old."

"Your grandmother," she finished. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "It's how Amshel found you. Your grandmother gave him the sketch when she gave him a palm reading- the sketch of your mother. It was how he found you- she knew he'd offer you a better life." She embraced him and told him, "You are not worthless to me- not ever. I know how they made it sound- a fatherless child born to a group of people that are viewed as nothing but animals. Don't believe any of it! You are the son of Marva and Jeff Trudeaux, your sister is a famous designer and you are the co-owner and founder of 'Burrows Winery'- there's nothing worthless about you." She cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes. Tears were there, but none fell. Those eyes were begging for her words to be true. She smiled and told him as she brought their foreheads together, "Every word is true, Hagi Trudeaux."

When they arrived at the club, Hagi began to set up, catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. She was seated at one of the tables where Claudia had joined her. Claudia wore a stunning purple dress that ended just above the knee in glittering palette sequins. As usual, whispers followed the woman. Most of them were hushed and excited as they announced, "She's back!" He knew she had come to support him and to be a companion to Saya.

His fiancée was dazzling in the wine red gown that was cut more modestly than he had imagined it would be. The cream fur wrap matched her heels and she had a set of teardrop garnet earrings that reminded him of the ones she wore at the Zoo. She confided in him that she liked his birthstone more than hers. The peridot was pretty- it reminded her of spring, but the garnet reminded her of passionate, undying love. It was deep red and mysterious, like the man she loved. Occasionally a man would come and request a dance, but she'd flash her extravagant ring and point toward him, causing him to smile. _She's mine._

Angie had asked earlier about him. He came into the club and something was different about him. He seemed more confident. Claudia noticed it too and wondered out loud if maybe Saya had done something to him. They were playing a more lively song when Claudia leaned over and asked Saya, "What did you do to him? Everyone's asking why he looks so much happier."

Saya smiled and responded, "We had a nice long talk that was long overdue. Just so you know, you were right about his mother."

She cringed and then responded, "I'm glad I closed that slit for you more. I imagine that must remind him of her."

Saya laughed, "No, it doesn't, but it would have caused him a lot of trouble having to sit through the whole set watching me. He does get jealous you know."

Claudia looked at him and then back at Saya, "_Him?_ Jealous? No way!"

Saya giggled as she took a drink from her glass. She really did love the strawberry margaritas that she could get at one of the clubs Hagi took her to in Dallas. She commented, "You wouldn't believe how many times I caught that look on his face when Solomon was around. And the times he stood between us when we were just talking."

Claudia shook her head, "_My brother-_ we're obviously talking about someone else here."

Saya gave a sly smile as another man came up and asked her to dance. He had blonde curly hair and grey eyes. He didn't look exactly like Solomon, but this was close enough. She let him lead her to the dance floor and warned him as he began to lead her, "I am engaged to the cello player in the band. I just wanted to dance, thank you."

The man smiled and said, "Anything for a beautiful woman like yourself."

She blushed and noticed Claudia's look of shock as she looked from Saya and the man to her brother. Claudia was floored as she saw Saya actually blushing as a stranger danced with her. Her eyes turned to her brother, who was back to his stoic expression, but his lips pulled into a frown. She could see the way his eyes burned and thought maybe Saya should end this game before someone got hurt- most likely the blonde that held her a little too close now. Claudia got up and went to the couple, tapping Saya on the shoulder and asking for the next dance. He obliged as Claudia gave her a look of warning and then nodded toward Hagi. She then turned to the man as he took her in his arms. "It's a dangerous game you're playing, flirting with a woman who is promised to a man that is right in front of you."

"It was just a dance," he reasoned.

She made certain that he had a view of the man in the chair with a cello. She asked, "Does it look like it was 'just a dance' to him?" The frown was still etched on Hagi's face as he glared at the man. He was the one that pulled Saya closer and it didn't help the poor guy that he looked so much like Solomon.

Saya came up to him and motioned for him to follow her. He obliged, but the frown remained. _Why would she do this?_ She led him to the dance floor and he guided her steps as Angie noticed the two and told the boys, "Tennessee Waltz." She snapped her fingers, emphasizing the tempo she wanted. It was a bit faster than the original, they had decided to do a more modern version of the old song and she thought it was appropriate for the pair. They were both so elegant when they moved across the dance floor.

She was taken aback when Hagi asked her, still holding his angry yet pained expression, "Why did you do that? I would have danced with you if you wished it?"

She had to look down as her hand clutched the fabric of the blue suit he was wearing. She wished she could take back what she had done- it made him jealous alright, but it was like she had emphasized his memories of Solomon even more. She bit her lip and leaned into his shoulder. "Hagi, I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was just telling Claudia that you get jealous and the next thing I know, I'm dancing with a stranger and you're looking at me with- the most pain filled expression I-I've ever seen."

He felt her tears on his shirt, cooling the anger that was there a moment ago. He was angry that Solomon had the guts to try to steal her away from him- but this wasn't Solomon. Solomon was dead. The war was over. He pressed a kiss into her hair as he responded, "I am sorry, Saya. I overreacted- it was just a dance." She wiped her face with her hand and smiled at him. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Should we show all these young people how the waltz is done?"

She smiled and nodded, "Mm- hmm." They took long, sweeping steps and glided across the floor like two beautiful birds dancing in mid-air. Claudia smiled as she watched the pair and a well-dressed man came to her side. He commented, "Would you care to dance?"

She didn't look up, but responded, "No, thanks though. I'm watching my brother show everyone how it's really done." She heard the man chuckle- his voice was so familiar.

"Well, maybe with the next waltz we can show them how it's really done," he suggested as he sat next to her.

She turned and looked at the man with complete surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you would be in Las Vegas and decided I wanted to see you again," he informed. "Would you like to go outside and get some air? It's a bit smoky in here."

She took his hand and followed him outside as Hagi and Saya came back to the table and both shared a look of surprise as they saw Claudia being led by the hand by someone they knew.

It was around 8pm, when Saya asked if they could go and get a bite to eat. The club was too crowded for her tastes now and Hagi would not be needed for the kind of music that was being played. Angie motioned for the pair to go and enjoy themselves.

Claudia and the well-dressed man joined them at the restaurant as they discussed where they'd like to go next. Claudia suggested miniature golf, bringing on laughter from Saya and the man. Hagi just raised an eyebrow and commented, "Do I need to remind you of the last time we played?"

She laughed until tears squeezed from her eyes. "That's right! You looked so out of place- like a giant!" She laughed as she recounted the story of how all the kids seemed to be enjoying themselves thinking he was part of the golf course. That is- until he moved.

"Bowling!" Saya suggested as she laughed, remembering a time when Kai tried to teach her to bowl and she ended up needing the gutter blockers put up because she seemed to keep finding the blasted thing no matter how hard she tried to stay to the center.

They decided to take one car as they drove down a fully lit highway that seemed overrun by casinos and burlesque clubs. Saya noticed the small chapels that advertised weddings in an hour and blushed as she felt Claudia nudge her through the seat. She leaned over as Hagi stopped at a red light and whispered something in his ear. Claudia noticed his face turn red as he scolded, "Sa-ya."

She whispered into his ear, "Come on, let's do something spontaneous, Hagi. It's not like you want to wait any longer- neither do I."

"But- the wedding…" he began to protest.

Claudia chimed in from the back seat, "What about the wedding?"

Hagi shot her a glare that said- like you didn't put her up to this!

"What is going on?" she asked as she glared back at him.

"Saya wants us to get married here. I know you're behind this, Sister," Hagi accused.

"Woah, Hagi, time out! Hey there's a sign as big as blazes right there that says 'Weddings in an Hour!' I'm sure Saya can read- she's been living with us for almost a year now."

He pulled the car into the parking lot and got out. He asked Saya to stay inside as he motioned for his sister to join him. She got out and thought she was about to get the worst end of everything for meddling again. She prepared herself for the onslaught, but was surprised when she heard him sigh and ask, "Claudia, if we do get married here, does that mean we will have to cancel our wedding in Texas?"

She noticed he was leaning in the trunk of the car with his hands in his pockets. His eyes met hers as she responded, "Of course not! You guys can still have the ceremony, even if you're already married." She then added, "Why are you so worried?"

"I thought you needed time to plan everything and I wanted everything to be perfect for Saya," he explained.

She pulled him into a hug and reminded him, "All any of us want is _your_ happiness, Big Brother. If you want to get married now and it makes you happy- than I want you to do it. We'll just warn the hotel that your room will be a little noisy tonight." She playfully nudged him and he nudged her back.

He rose from his position and went to let Saya out as he responded, "It will be."

They walked in and noticed the place seemed like a mixture between a church and a hotel help desk. A small woman with bleached out blonde hair gave them the marriage license application and asked for their identification. Saya handed her the ID she had from Japan that Joel had gotten for her. It stated that she was 21 and she would receive a new one every year just like Hagi only his age was listed as 25. The woman eyeballed the couple and wondered at the man. His driver's license stated he was from Texas and the girl was from Japan. Eh, she'd seen stranger things here than that- she married couples that were weirder than that! She informed the couple that her chapel took care of filing the paperwork so they wouldn't have to. It only cost an extra $40.

Claudia and her acquaintance were witnesses to the ceremony. It wasn't the extravagant wedding that Claudia had, or the simple one Kai had- it was their own. They looked into each others eyes the entire time. He had his blue suit on and his hair tied back. She wore the wine colored gown and cream heels, leaving the wrap with Claudia. The rhinestones straps glittered in the dim, candle lit room along with her burgundy eyes. She was breathtaking to him as he listened to the requirements of a husband. He smiled as he noticed she was blushing when he repeated the words that were stated.

Then, the minister turned to Saya and Hagi watched her repeat what was expected of her. She had no trouble loving him in sickness and health- they'd been through that before. Better or worse- they'd survived a war that lasted 124 years, she didn't think things could be much worse than that. Richer or poorer- she always thought he was playing the cello to earn money and she loved him anyways. She found out he was a wealthy wine maker and she still loved him. "Love, honor…" the last one had her stumped… obey? He was no longer her chevalier, but she was to obey him? She trusted the man with everything- even her life. She looked him in the eyes and finally repeated, "Obey."

She lost her train of thought as she heard his voice speak the words she had never dared to think she'd hear come from anyone, "I do." Never before did she think that anyone would get close to her except Joel and Hagi. She never imagined anything other than killing Diva. He was marrying her because he loved her- not out of duty or to fulfill a promise.

He was staring at her, as was everyone else. She blushed as she realized they were waiting for her response. "I do," she answered finally, noticing the happiness in his eyes as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She grabbed the lapel of his jacket and hummed, "Mm-umm," and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss.

He was surprised at first, but that ended soon enough. The world around them melted away as he wrapped her in his arms and felt hers wrap around his neck. He lifted her off the ground as he hummed his happiness. He felt Claudia embrace them and squeal with delight.

On the way back, Saya called Kai who seemed to already know what had happened. Kai explained that Kaori shared everything with him, he knew she'd find some way to convince Hagi that they should just get married.

Hagi grinned as he heard Claudia tell Marva that her brother just got hitched. She handed Hagi her cell phone as he drove his sister and her friend to the restaurant where her car was waiting. "Hagi, I am so happy!" she informed. Eric just gathered the men and Anna and Maria are here, too. Hang on," she held the phone up and he heard her announce, "Hagi and Saya just got married in Vegas!" There were cheers and hollers of congratulations. He laughed as he heard Bubba shout out, "Alright, Hagi, get your girl!" He relayed what he was hearing to Claudia and blushed as he told her what Bubba said. Marva got back on the phone and told him, "Son, I want you to enjoy yourselves and don't spend all your time in the hotel room."

He laughed out and responded, "I can't promise you that, Mom."

"Love you, son. Congratulations!" she told him and then requested, "Let me talk to your wife."

He handed he the phone as he thought, _My wife._ She traded phones and he answered hers, "Hello, Kai."

"Hey, Hagi. Congrats man, I knew you wouldn't be able to wait- you or Saya," he commented as Hagi smiled and spoke to him.

Saya listened to Marva's advice and both calls ended at the same time and they arrived at the restaurant and gave hugs as they both smiled their gratitude.

Claudia suggested that she and her companion would go back to the club and have some fun dancing. She then added, "Besides, I think these two need to be alone."

She embraced Saya and Hagi and told them goodbye. Hagi knew he would miss his sister, but she would still be around, meddling as usual.

They headed back to the hotel, occasionally sharing nervous smiles. Their first night as husband and wife was about to begin.

**Okay, the next chapter is the lemon. For those of you that do not like the lemon- please skip it. It is also the last chapter of Part 4- dun dun dunnn! Then we move on to Part 5- YAAAY! Please review as you all know- reviews make my day!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N To all my lovely fans- this is the last chapter of Part 4 of Life, Love, and Family. Part 5 will begin soon.**

**I GIVE YOU FAIR WARNING- THIS IS A LEMON! YES, THE WHOLE CHAPTER IS A LEMON. If lemons are not your thing, please don't read it. Just wait for Part 5 Chapter 1. If you love lemons, please remember this is my second attempt at a lemon and I appreciate any feedback, advice, and love! Thanks!**

He sighed. The DO NOT DISTURB sign was on the door and the phone was off the hook. Saya sat on the edge of the bed with her shoes in the corner and he had removed his boots and jacket. Why wasn't this moving along? They kissed, but ended up just feeling awkward.

"Hagi," she began while her eyes stayed on the floor, "I… should we lay down?" She could feel his frustration as much as she felt her own.

He sat on the bed and suggested, "Maybe we should watch some television?"

She would have smiled if she weren't so flustered. Hagi suggesting watching television proved he was just as nervous as she was. "No," she responded. She huffed and thought about how awkward this was. They should be all over each other right now, but they were both afraid of their own inexperience. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his, feeling the ring on his finger under her hand. It was official- they were married now.

His face was showing no expression, but his eyes revealed the frustration he was hiding. He wanted to move this along, just to get rid of the awkwardness between them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her click on the television and surf the channels. Taking a deep breath, he decided to be brave about this, "I think you should get ready for bed."

"Hagi, it's not that late," she replied as she tried to find something that caught her interest.

He looked at the television and explained, "I wasn't talking about sleep, Saya."

She held the remote loosely in her hands and went slack jawed. Was he suggesting what she thought? Her surprised expression turned to him, he was still looking at the television, but his cheeks held a bit of color. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts and form them into words, but even then they didn't make much sense, "You mean… should I? Do I wear… or nothing…"

He raised an eyebrow and suggested, "Clothing may make things a bit more difficult our first time. I will shut off the lights."

She nodded as she went into the bathroom and he waited until she shut the door before he undressed and shut off the lights, leaving the television on with the volume down. The room was pitch black without the lights on and he wanted her to be able to see her way to the bed as well as see what they would be doing to each other.

It took her a few minutes to just gather her wits. He had just suggested they go to bed together- naked! Her cheeks flushed and she slapped her hands over them. Why was she so surprised? Isn't this what she wanted? Her hands shook as she undressed. Fed up with her nervousness, she rolled her eyes and scolded the reflection in the mirror, "It's only Hagi." The dress was now on the hanger as she slipped out of her bra and shimmied out of her panties. Her eyes caught her naked reflection. She then asked herself, "What if I'm not as good as he expected me to be? He's loved me for so long and he seems to nearly worship me. I don't think I'm not as great as he thinks I am."

She heard him respond in her mind, "In my eyes, you are nothing less than perfection, Saya. I will love you no matter what happens tonight." She smiled as she made her mind up.

She came into the room and found he was already under the covers. She could barely make out the contents of the room in the darkness but was grateful for the glow of the television. Making her way to the king size bed, she modestly covered herself with her hands and her arms. It was true he had seen her naked on many occasions, but not like this. She climbed under the covers and felt him move closer to her. Their hands found each other and he soothed, "Saya, if you are not ready…"

She turned to face him and responded, "I am ready, Hagi. I'm just nervous- it's my first time a-and I want to make it perfect- for you."

His hand moved across her forehead, moving the raven bangs away from her eyes and admitted, "I know. It's my first time, too." His mouth found hers. The kiss was sweet as their lips slid over each other. He broke away for a moment and added, "It will be perfect- for both of us." Their lips met again and her mouth opened to allow him access.

She was feeling bold suddenly. He was still holding on to her hand as she brought it up with hers and molded it over her breast. She felt more than heard him moan. It was so deep and hungry. His fingers fumbled against her hardened nipple as his kiss became more forceful along with hers. Their tongues were at war with each other as she arched against his hand. He had begun to circle the hard bud with his finger before pinching it, causing her to break the kiss with a gasp.

He traced her jawline with kisses and found her neck. He felt the heat rising within him as he watched the ticking of her pulse point in the glow from the tv. He resisted the urge to sink his teeth in deep as he found the bud with his tongue. She gasped as his tongue drew warm, wet circles the way his finger had earlier. She rolled to her back and felt his thumb match pace with his tongue on her other breast. The nervousness between them had melted away. She arched her back as a plea came from her lips and her hand caught his, "Hagi!" Her hand guided his down her belly and between her legs. It was a double surprise as his finger slid into her and his length pressed against her thigh. The groan that came from the handsome man made her shiver.

He was struggling to stay in control as his middle finger slid into her. She was impossibly warm as she gasped out his name. His body was responding as he moaned with need against her cries of ecstasy as she moved against his hand. It wasn't long before her cries hit a fever pitch and he felt a burst of warm dampness in his hand. His finger continued to move inside her as her high pitched cries became a long moan of pure bliss.

Her mind could have easily shut down, but she was curious about the warm hardness that was pressing against her. Her hand snaked between them and wrapped around his length. She smiled with glee as he moaned and pressed into her hand. She gripped the pulsing erection and began moving back and forth in a slow rhythm. She was curious how he could have held back this long? She watched his hand twitch against the covers, aching to make her hand move the way he needed it to, but that could wait for another time. His hand came down and pulled hers away as their eyes met, he gasped, "Saya, I want you."

She felt him move on top of her and his hands lifted her legs around his middle. He looked into her eyes as he thought, "_Are you certain this is what you want?"_

"_Yes,"_ she answered in her mind as she felt him pressed against her opening. She nodded to emphasize the answer as she bit her lip in anticipation.

Would it be better to take her in a swift movement so the pain would be intense but brief? Would it be better to break through the barrier in slow strokes? He didn't want to hurt her, but this had to be done. He pulled back and pressed in slowly, easing himself inside with slow, loving strokes.

She gasped at the feeling of being spread open as he pressed deeper and deeper. It was a strange feeling of friction, heat, and pressure. He kept easing forward into her with careful strokes until he was half way inside. She felt she could take no more, but she had to- she had to feel him all the way inside. She looked into his eyes as he informed her, "It will hurt. Are you sure?" She nodded as she slipped her arms around his middle and pressed her palms against his smooth back. It stunned her when he slammed his hips forward and broke through her barrier in one hard stroke. It was painful and she couldn't stop the tear that spilled from her eye. The smell of freshly spilled blood and desire filled the air around them.

He couldn't look at her- he couldn't see the pain in her eyes that was caused by him. Just like that day at the Zoo, when he'd frightened her, he imagined that same look was on her face right now. He was propped up on his elbows with his face buried in the pillow, biting back the need to move. She was quivering all around him, enticing to begin thrusting. He couldn't move now- not until she was used to this new sensation. Her hands caressed his back as she asked, "Hagi, are you okay?"

Shouldn't he be asking her this question? He lifted his head to find that her face didn't look pained or frightened, but concerned- for him. He couldn't help but smile as he responded, "I am doing well. How are you?"

She laughed as she playfully nudged him, she didn't expect him to joke with her in such an intense moment. The sensation of her laughter went deep inside her, causing tremors against his shaft. She heard him let out a shaky moan as he held back again- he couldn't wait much longer. The sensation awakened something in her as well. Her hands found his firm butt and gave a squeeze.

The little control he had left disappeared in that moment. With a heated groan, he thrust forward and buried himself all the way inside her, causing her to cry out. For a while, there was pain- she felt like she was being forced in half as she felt her blood spill on her inner thighs as well as his. She looked at the man above her- his eyes were wild with need as he thrust into her again and again. She began to feel a tingling, deep inside where the friction was causing her to feel hot and cold at the same time. He thrust forward again, causing her to moan as she began to move against him. This continued for a time when he pressed deeply and then found her neck with his tongue. His fangs grazed against the back of his lips and he wondered at the sudden need to feed. He was well fed from the transfusion he had received, but this hunger suffused his body in heat. _Why_ _now? _A voice answered in his mind-_ A knight cannot resist the urge to feed from a queen the first time he lays with her._

She felt her body respond to his warm tongue with a moan that seemed to make him tremble. His fangs brushed a small scratch onto her neck as she felt as if her body was rising from the bed. The new feeling deep inside was causing her to tighten around him and increase the wonderful sensation even more. She wanted it to go on forever, but her climax was already upon her. She was crying out in time with his thrusts as he sunk his teeth into her neck. She felt the rumble in his throat as he sealed his mouth over the wound. Her body shook in an unbelievable pleasure as she cried out his name over and over.

He wasn't certain what had happened. Suddenly, he was aware that he was taking strong pulls of her blood, causing a fiery sensation to rocket through his body and cause his toes and fingers to tingle. She was calling his name as she closed around him and her body shook with an intense release. He licked the wound to help seal it and watched as she rode out the remainder of her orgasm. Her mouth was still opened in an "O" as he thrust hard into her, causing a gasp to come from her mouth.

She felt his hands tangle in her hair as he began to ravage her mouth again. He was thrusting into her in hard, even strokes. His hands moved down and grasped her thighs, bringing them higher over his hips to deepen his thrusts. He was grunting with each one. His hair was sticking to his neck as sweat glistened on his body. The light from the television was reflecting in a light blue against everything, including the black wings that burst from his back as he thrust deeply and held himself still against her. She gasped as she felt an unbelievable rush of warmth deep inside. With his next thrust, he cried out, "Saaayyaaaa!" He held himself rigid, his outstretched wings shivering as he felt the world around him melt away. He had become one with her completely- in blood, in name, and now- in body. Completely exhausted, he fell against her.

He was panting as he laid his head next to hers, completely spent. She smiled as her hand traced his spine to where his wings had sprouted from his back. Each one was outstretched on either side of them against the bed and falling to the floor. The strong black velvet of his wings shuddered as he gave a long moan of satisfaction. She wondered at the idea that they must look like some bizarre fallen bird- maybe bat would be more accurate.

He wanted to move his weight off of her, but as he pressed his palms to the mattress, he shivered and fell back down on her.

She smiled as she ran her fingers through a sweat dampened lock of hair that framed his face. She moved it behind his ear as she listened to his pulse as it wasn't thundering anymore. "It's okay, Hagi," she reassured. "I like how this feels."

"I am- not- too heavy?" he asked as he was still panting. His eyes held concern as he propped himself on his elbows.

She shook her head as she responded, "Umm-mm." Her hand moved through his crazy- damp hair, trying to straighten it out for him. She felt him lean down and place a small kiss on her neck, where he had pierced the skin earlier in a fit of passion. She felt his voice vibrate through her as he apologized. Her brows furrowed and she responded, "There's no reason for you to apologize. I wanted you to do it. It's only fair that you get to drink from me after all the decades that I drank from you." She thought about how it felt when he pierced the skin. It seemed to intensify her orgasm- so naturally she wondered if maybe it wasn't painful for Hagi but immensely pleasurable. If it was, he never gave any indication. Of course he wouldn't! Hagi rarely ever reveals how he feels. She would have to observe his reaction the next time she fed from him.

They lay there until their breathing returned to normal. He had never felt so relaxed, but it still bothered him that his weight was pressing her into the mattress. His wings retracted before he rose up on his palms and rolled to his back. His arm pulled her into his chest and he pressed a kiss into her crazy messed up hair. He lazily combed his hand through the raven silken strands. He heard her sigh, "That was amazing." He hummed his agreement, thinking she was falling asleep.

She shifted and was now staring into his eyes as she asked, "Was it… okay- for you I mean?"

He smiled and answered, "Saya, it was more beautiful than I could ever imagine." He watched her smile return before she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Her naked breasts pressed against his chest, causing a stirring in his loins. It was only a small kiss, but it served to remind him of all those nights he had waited. Those times he kept his stoic gaze fixed on the scene outside rather than on the sleeping woman… the times she cried and he longed to comfort her and couldn't… the times he just wanted to see her smile. He pulled her into his chest as his eyes went a bit misty- not from sadness, but happiness. He could give her all that she ever dreamed of and, at the same time, fulfill all of his dreams as well.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she felt his strong heartbeat thumping in her ear.

He released her as he answered, "I am fine."

Her hand moved down his stomach and was surprised when it moved along his erection. She turned to look into his face- it was that look she had come to understand now. It was his desire, begging her to fulfill a need only she had the power to do. "Again?" she asked.

He blinked and then answered, "Saya, if you are not..."

His answer came as she smiled and rolled to her back, pulling him on top of her.

He tried to warn her that she needed to take it easy, she had just stopped bleeding. Her blood had made a large stain on the white linens. He made a mental note to visit a laundry mat in the early morning. It would turn his stomach to think to leave the place in that state. All that melted away as she moved her legs on either side of him- inviting him to make her call out his name once again.

The morning found them both laid out. She was curled next to him with an arm over his middle, his arm was behind his head, the other underneath her. The length of his lean body stretched the across the entire mattress with one leg exposed since Saya had the covers mostly curled around her. His eyes were shut and his mouth was slightly opened. He had not noticed that he had been passed out for about an hour.

His eyes opened slightly as he cleared his throat. He sat up as he pulled his arm from her, causing her to let out a disagreeing moan. He gathered his thoughts from the previous night as he ran his fingers through his hair. _How many times did they…_ he lost count, but he could recall each time she cried out his name in her ecstasy. After all, he had waited for more than a century for her, why hold back now?

She moaned his name in her sleep as her arm moved toward him. He smiled as he caught her hand and kissed it before letting it fall around his waist. He sighed- it looks like he won't be getting out of this bed as early as he had planned. He pulled the little amount of covers she had left for him around himself as he stretched out again. It wasn't like he really wanted to go anywhere anyway.

She was still balled up in the covers, like a little cocoon. He frowned- even though he knew she would never have to hibernate again, he still did not care for the idea of cocoons or long sleep. Sleep… was he sleeping earlier? He remembered looking at the glow of the tv reflecting off Saya's sleeping features before the sun rose, but the next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes to sunlight.

"Uhmmmph," Saya groaned as she pulled him closer. Her brows furrowed and her sweet voice deepened as she flung her arm from the mass of covers and said one word, "Sword!"

He turned as caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He spoke lowly and soothingly, "Saya, there is no need to fight anymore. The war is over."

Her outstretched arm fell around him and that sweet voice returned. "Hagi," she murmured in her sleep. She then added, "I'm hungry." One burgundy eye opened, causing him to chuckle before the second opened as well.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as she untangled herself from the covers, inadvertently pulling the little amount of covers off of him completely.

It took her a moment to realize they were both still naked and she covered herself as she tried to avert her eyes. Her wide eyes kept turning back to him. He was completely naked, his pale skin cast in a golden glow from the reflection of the sunlight filtering through the yellow drapes. His messy ebony hair fell against the covers in large waves and curls. She tried to pull her eyes away again, but he spoke.

"What is it, Saya?" he asked. He was truly concerned- she looked like she was frightened.

"I've never seen you naked before- at least not as an adult," she responded. She gave out a yelp of surprise as he pulled her to him and tossed the cover off. She was wrapped in his embrace as his naked body molded to hers as he pressed a kiss against her lips.

"You have forgotten last night?" he asked as sorrow filled his eyes. He couldn't take another memory lapse, not now.

Her hand found his as she calmed his fears, "Oh, no Hagi. I definitely remember last night- well most of it. I just haven't seen you without your clothes on since that day you got so sick. It was my fault, you know. I insisted that we skip lessons that day to have a picnic, but a sudden downpour had us waiting out the storm in the barn."

He brushed his hand over her cheek and he kissed her lips, "I do not blame you for that day. I was grateful when I awoke from the fever and saw you sleeping in the chair by my bed. You and Joel made me feel like a part of the family."

Saya gave off a shiver as she snuggled closer and commented, "I could really use a hot bath right now."

"I could use a hot shower, myself," he agreed.

He rose from the bed suddenly and began to head for the bathroom when she cried, "Wait."

He turned to see what she wanted and noticed she was staring at him. He smiled as he asked, "What is it?"

She came to the end of the bed on all fours and slapped his backside with a wicked grin stretched across her face. He raised an eyebrow as she giggled and commented, "I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you in a pair of jeans. I thought you looked good in jeans, but I know now, you look even better without them." Little did he know it was a secret dare Claudia had given Saya.

He blushed as he groaned, "Say-a."

She suggested with a raised eyebrow, "You know, there's a garden tub in this room. It would be a shame to let it go to waste."

He returned the grin and headed for the restroom and saw the massive tub for the first time. It seemed a bit extravagant, but why not? It was their honeymoon- sort of. He had planned their real honeymoon somewhere much more special, but this was still nice. He watched as the hot water began to fill the tub with rose scented bubbles. He almost came back to the room to find Saya answering the door in a robe. He waited for her to receive what she had ordered, watching from the other side of the door he left open a crack, and tip the man that delivered it.

Hagi entered the room after the man left. He joined her as she began to eat breakfast. She handed him a mug of his tea. She motioned to the carafe in the back and informed him that it was filled with tea. She gave very exact orders on how it was to be made. He smiled as he thought of how well she seemed to know him. He found a piece of toast and took the blackberry jelly- smearing a bit across the surface. She swallowed and then laughed as she noticed how quickly he finished off the toast. "Hungry?" she asked as she offered him some eggs.

"Saya, you know I do not need to eat," he replied and then tried a bit of the eggs. He swallowed and explained. "The tub is full of hot water and I think we should get in before the water gets cold."

She finished off two plates of food in 10 minutes and took the carafe as he carried the last plate, mixed pieces of fruit, to the tub. Hagi added a bit more hot water and climbed in, watching her trying pieces of cantaloupe, watermelon, mangoes, orange slices, and grapes. He smiled as he sipped his tea and leaned back across from her.

She gave a sly smile as she moved into his arms, giving him a piece of watermelon. She placed a piece of mango in her mouth and then kissed him. The flavors came together in a tangy sweetness. She swallowed and then ran her tongue across his bottom lip and heard the moan that came from him. She gave a sly smile as she moved away, leaving him wanting more from her.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Saya," he warned as his heated gaze intensified.

"Am I?" she asked, feigning innocence as she reached forward and moved her small hand up his inner thigh. She watched as his eyes burned with desire, but his stoic expression held.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you planning?"

She grinned slyly as she recalled the moment his wings erupted from his back and he called out her name. It thrilled to know she could make him completely let go of everything. She wanted to bring him to that point once again.


End file.
